OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Gov. Pete Ricketts will get his first coronavirus vaccination shot on Saturday at Nebraska Medicine in Omaha.
The 56-year-old governor had previously signed up for the vaccine online, and was notified earlier this week that he was eligible for an appointment. He’s scheduled to get the first of two doses of the Pfizer vaccine.
Douglas County on Thursday started offering vaccinations to residents who are at least 45 years old. Other parts of the state have moved to younger age groups, and on Monday, the state will allow public health districts to vaccinate anyone who is at least 16 years old if they have an adequate supply of doses and appointments.
Ricketts and state health officials are still urging residents to sign up for a shot on the state’s registration website, vaccinate.ne.gov. Phone registrations are also available by calling 833-998-2275 or 531-249-1873.
Residents can also get appointments through the federal retail pharmacy program, which is making shots available through online sign-ups at Hy-Vees, Walmarts and other local pharmacies in Nebraska.
Nebraska has vaccinated 23.3% of residents who are at least 16 years old, according to the state’s online tracking portal. The number of daily vaccinations administered has trended upward since December.
Nebraska has confirmed 209,896 coronavirus cases and 2,181 deaths since the pandemic began. The large majority of those who have died are elderly. The state has 120 people who are currently hospitalized with the virus, a number that has ticked up slightly from recent days but is still substantially lower than the record highs logged in mid-November.
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