LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Wednesday morning the Lincoln Trail District Health Department, which serves Hardin, LaRue, Marion, Meade, Nelson and Washington counties, opened up COVID-19 vaccine registration to people in 1B.
Terrie Burgan, with the health department, said thousands of people were online and calling in to get themselves registered.
"It was overwhelming," Burgan said. "We had over 16,000 people call in on our phone lines between 9 and 12:30."
They only had about 600 doses to provide appointments for and well over 20,000 people in their district qualify. It didn't take long for those slots to fill up.
For months, those with the health department are the people who have spent their days speaking to positive patients. Their journeys have affected these staff members.
"As part of the contact investigation and the disease investigation, we get to know these families personally," Burgan said. "Even when families have individuals that pass away, that disease investigator also feels that loss."
So, even though more people were turned away because of the limited vaccine supply than were able to register, they are asking people to be patient.
"The vaccine supplies are limited, yes, but there will be other opportunities where they will be able to get the vaccine," Burgan said.
Burgan said as places like mega-sites and Kroger's set up their vaccine distribution, it will create more opportunities to vaccinate everyone in these small counties. She also reminds people who do get vaccinated to continue to wear their masks and social distance.
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