WCH continues to wait for a date from Arizona Department of Health as to when the 3rd doses for the vaccine will be released. Once this date is released WCH will provide as much information as possible on appointments being made available at the Wickenburg Community Hospital. In the mean time those seeking vaccine can find a vaccination location at azdhs.gov/covid19/vaccines.
There are two important steps each community member can take if they are seeking their third dose;
1. All recipients need to stay with same vaccine they previously had
2. Each person MUST have their vaccine card with them otherwise the medical team will not be able to verify if timing is appropriate for a 3rd vaccine.
In the meantime it is important to be aware of your options if you do test positive for COVID-19. One of the first questions you may have is, “What can I do to reduce the risk of getting sicker?” The good news, there are treatments that may reduce that risk. Depending on your age, health history, and how long you’ve had symptoms of COVID-19, you may qualify for monoclonal antibody (mAb) treatment. Some early evidence suggests that mAb treatment can reduce the amount of the SARS-CoV-2 virus (the virus that causes COVID-19) in a person’s system. This amount is known as viral load. Having a lower viral load means you may have milder symptoms thereby decreasing the likelihood of you needing to stay in the hospital. Monoclonal antibody treatment may help people who (1) Have a positive COVID-19 test, and had symptoms for 10 days or less and (2) Are at high risk of getting more serious symptom. WCH does offer this treatment to persons that are positive for COVID-19 and who qualify for the treatment.
Monoclonal antibody treatment can only be ordered by a physician who can attest that the person ill with Covid-19 meets the criteria. (also found at https://combatcovid.hhs.gov/i-have-covid-19/how-do-i-know-if-im-high-risk )
