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Bowling Green Medical Center Expands COVID-19 Vaccinations Beyond Health Care Workers

Lisa Autry

The Medical Center in Bowling Green is casting a wider net in vaccinating the public against the coronavirus.

The hospital is serving as a mass vaccination site for people living in the south-central Kentucky region.

While most frontline health workers have already been immunized, the Medical Center is moving on with Phase 1B in the state’s vaccination plan.  This group includes first responder, K-12 school personnel, and seniors age 70 and older.

Melinda Joyce, Vice President of Corporate Support Services for Med Center Health, says there’s been a lot of interest in getting the vaccine. She urges those trying to make appointments to be patient.

“For people texting or emailing, it may take a while before they get a response back," Joyce told WKU Public Radio. "We are trying to get people scheduled as quickly as we can, but it’s also partially due to the availability of vaccine. We do not know from week-to-week how much vaccine we’re going to get.”

The Medical Center received more than 2,000 doses of the vaccine this week, and has given about 6,000 total injections since vaccinations began in mid-December. 

The Medical Center’s vaccination site is open to residents living in the eight counties served by the Barren River District Health Department

The vaccine is being given at the WKU Health Sciences Complex on the Medical Center campus in Bowling Green from 7:00 a.m-5:00 p.m Sunday through Friday.  Appointments are required and can be made by texting SENIOR to 270-796-3200 or by sending an email to vaccine@mchealth.net. Individuals should include their name, date of birth, and phone number.

Lisa is a Scottsville native and WKU alum. She has worked in radio as a news reporter and anchor for 18 years. Prior to joining WKU Public Radio, she most recently worked at WHAS in Louisville and WLAC in Nashville. She has received numerous awards from the Associated Press, including Best Reporter in Kentucky. Many of her stories have been heard on NPR.
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