Tier 1A Receives First Round of the Covid-19 Vaccine from the Ho-Chunk Nation Department of Health

By Ardith Van Riper



     The Ho-Chunk Nation Department of Health (DOH) received its initial doses of the Covid-19 vaccine on December 23 and began vaccinating tier 1A individuals on December 29.  Executive Director Kiana Beaudin and Dr. Amy DeLong were among the first to receive the DOH vaccine at the House of Wellness.

     Tier 1A of individuals to receive the vaccine are healthcare workers and long term care residents.  Tier 1B are essential frontline employees, elite elders, and eminent speakers.  Tier 1C are elders, those with underlying health conditions (some examples: cancer, chronic kidney disease, COPD, heart conditions, immuno-compromised, obesity, sickle cell disease, and type 2 diabetes), and essential workers.

     The first allocation of the Covid-19 vaccine from the DOH is Moderna.  Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, this vaccine was 94.1% effective in clinical trials at preventing laboratory-confirmed Covid-19 illness. 

     The vaccine is given as a shot to the upper arm.  Two shots, one month or 28 days apart, must be administered or immunity cannot be guaranteed.

     The most common side effects from the Moderna vaccine are pain, swelling, and redness in the arm where the shot was administered.  Individuals may also experience chills, tiredness, and headache after the second vaccine shot.  These side effects usually start within a day or two of receiving the vaccine but should go away in a couple of days.

     “The only side effect I am experiencing is mild arm pain, also known as pain at the injection site,” stated Kiana Beaudin.

     The DOH will notify those who fall into the tier 1 categories of when and where they can receive the vaccine.

     Point of Dispensing sites are at the House of Wellness near Wisconsin Dells and the District 1 Community Building near Black River Falls.




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