COVID-19 Vaccine Now Available FREE for Seniors 65+, Healthcare Workers and 18+ with Underlying Health Conditions

Appointments can be made through the Mississippi Department of Health online or by telephone.

Lafayette County residents who are aged 65+ years or who work in healthcare-related fields or who are 18+ with underlying health conditions can now sign up for Coronavirus/COVID-19 vaccinations by visiting covidvaccine.umc.edu or by calling (877) 978-6453 or (601) 576-8050. There is no cost to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

After you make your appointment, you will go to the Drive-through Vaccination Site on the specified day and time. In Lafayette County, all vaccinations are distributed via the Lafayette County Health Department, following the guidelines of the Mississippi Department of Health, at the National Guard Armory/Oxford Conference Center, 102 Ed Perry Blvd., Oxford.

If you are a senior citizen 65+ years of age and need assistance scheduling your appointment, please use the telephone hotline: (877) 978-6453 or (601) 576-8050.

If you are wondering if you qualify as a Healthcare Worker, note that the Mississippi Department of Health has defined this category of citizens as: “all paid and unpaid healthcare personnel working in a variety of healthcare settings — for example, acute care facilities, long-term acute care facilities, inpatient rehabilitation facilities, nursing homes and assisted living facilities, home healthcare, mobile clinics, and outpatient facilities, such as dialysis centers and physicians’ offices.”

If you are 18 years of age or above and have an underlying health condition, you can submit the screening questions on the online appointment scheduler or via telephone to confirm. You will then be able to sign up for your vaccination.

The first phase of vaccinations is currently available for only these groups, but the next phase is scheduled to begin between January and February and will include First Responders, Educators, Corrections Officers and Congregate Settings Workers. For more information on the MSDH vaccination phases, please visit: https://msdh.ms.gov/msdhsite/_static/14,0,420,976.html#phases

After you receive your first vaccination, you will need to plan a return visit to the Drive-through Site within three to four weeks. Each vaccination requires a follow-up booster at least 21 days or 28 days after you receive your first inoculation dose, to be scheduled at the same location you received your first shot. If you receive the Pfizer vaccine, you should return in 21 days or later for your second dose. If you receive the Moderna vaccine, you should return in 28 days or later for your second dose. You will be advised of which type of vaccine you are receiving at the time of your appointment. Scheduling your booster exactly 21 or 28 days after your first dose is not necessary, but both doses of the vaccine are necessary to be fully protected against COVID-19.

We are counting on citizens throughout Lafayette County to help with a smooth and efficient vaccination process. Please share this information with your friends and family who are eligible to receive the vaccine in this initial phase of the vaccine rollout.

More information about Mississippi’s Coronavirus response is available at the Mississippi Department of Health’s website: msdh.ms.gov/coronavirus.