While Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds announced this week that all adults would be able to get a COVID-19 vaccination starting April 5th, county health officials say it depends on certain factors. 

Guthrie County Public Health Director Jotham Arber says this would depend on vaccine availability. Arber notes that Guthrie County receives 200 doses a week with the health department and an additional 200 through the national pharmacy program. 

“Eligibility on April 5th in Guthrie County, you know if the governor opens that up, if the state does that, obviously we will do the same, however it really depends on the vaccine availability.” 

Arber says those 400 total doses will continue to be allocated to Guthrie County but he is not sure how many more would potentially come in with vaccine companies ramping up production of the vaccines. 

“It may not be that everyone who wants a shot on April 5th can get a shot just because there may not be enough shots to give the remaining 4-5,000 people that we have in the county that haven’t been vaccinated at least with one shot. I think that it’s a good possibility that the eligibility will open up but it may take some time to get those people scheduled and get those shots into arms as they become available.”

Arber adds they will continue the same trend of vaccinating those individuals who are currently eligible.