JACKPOT, Nevada — The unincorporated city of Jackpot, Nevada is getting help from FEMA to provide their residents with COVID-19 vaccines. The city has about 1,500 residents with their nearest COVID-19 vaccination site about an hour drive across the Idaho border into Twin Falls.
“The rural communities of Northern Nevada, a lot of these are mining towns and they do not have the infrastructure that is required to support vaccination efforts,” said Brian O’Neal with the Northern Vaccination Unit.
To help break down a barrier for vaccination, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has loaned the state of Nevada a mobile vaccination unit in order to bring vaccines to smaller rural communities like Jackpot, who would not otherwise have easy access to the vaccines.
“Helping our economy get back opened up,” said Bryce Crance with the Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District. “Letting these businesses have the commerce they need to survive, and I think a lot of that comes down to how well we are doing with this vaccine in our healthcare systems.”
On Wednesday the mobile unit arrived in Jackpot to begin setting up for a clinic for residents to easily get their vaccine. The clinic begins on Thursday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the Cactus Petes parking lot. They will be administering the Pfizer vaccine for anyone ages 16 and up and Johnson and Johnson for 18 and up.
“ADA compliance here for folks with mobility issues, we have Spanish speaking translators and various different language information packets available to those for other languages,” said Cranch.
Idaho residents are also welcome to come to get vaccinated. The Unit will be back in 21 days on May 20 to administer the second dose of the Pfizer vaccine.
