Vaccinations offer hope and freedom

Two families living on the same Saratoga Springs street have had very different experiences over the course of the coronavirus outbreak.

Saratoga Springs resident Paula Zuppan contracted the virus in late December putting her in a coma for 10 days.

Her husband was so certain she would succumb to the virus that he took all of the Christmas lights and adorned a tree in the back yard so that she could “always find her way home” if the worst occurred. Zuppan recovered, and said she hopes her story will encourage others to vaccinate themselves.

“If it minimizes the risk for even one more person, it’s worth it,” said Zuppan. “Anything you can do to avoid going through what I went through… just please consider getting vaccinated.”

A vaccinated Minden couple has planned a birthday party after the husband returns from a trip to Chicago to see his grandchildren.

Mike Hall returns to Carson Valley on Tuesday, in time to celebrate his birthday at a potluck with three other couples, who have also been vaccinated.

Because all of the participants will have been vaccinated, the party will be maskless in accordance with recommendations issued by the Centers for Disease Control.

Up until they were vaccinated, Mike and Christel Hall have been minimizing contact, masking up and scheduled themselves for the shot when they first could.

On Monday, eligibility for vaccines expanded to include anyone 16 years and older.

In an effort to get vaccinations to rural Nevada, the Federal Emergency Management Agency sent two mobile vaccination units.

The unit will be at the Washoe Tribe in Stewart on Thursday and Topaz Ranch Estates on Saturday.

The mobile units will be offering the one-shot Janssen vaccine and all vaccines will be provided to walk-up registrants on a first-come, first-served basis. The Janssen vaccine is available to those 18 and older.

The mobile clinics will be staffed by registered nurses, vaccinators and vaccination preparers, a pharmacy technician, as well as registration, screening personnel, and security from local communities. They are expected to handle a minimum of 250 people per day, per location.

The one-dose Janssen vaccine will be used to enhance efficiency and maximize the number of doses administered through the team. Local emergency medical agencies will be onscene daily at each location to respond to any adverse reactions to the vaccine, which have been rare.