The Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe and Avera Medical Group Flandreau are offering the COVID-19 vaccine to anyone 12 years of age or older.
The tribal clinic offered the younger age group the shot starting last Sunday at the FEMA and Indian Health Services mobile clinic at the Royal River Casino. Those who received the first dose will get a second dose on June 7 at the tribal clinic community room. If that date doesn’t work, those patients have the option of going to Avera’s clinic.
Depending on the turnout, the tribal clinic would be open to hosting another event that could include anyone 12 and older, said Cynthia Jacobs, the clinic’s CEO.
“We think the change in CDC guidelines will incentivize people (to get vaccinated),” she said. The guidelines recently changed say people who are fully vaccinated can be in public spaces without their masks, except for areas such as hospitals and clinics, homeless shelters and mass transit, for example.
At Avera, a shot clinic, using the Pfizer vaccine, will be available each Monday from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. for walk-in customers. No appointment is necessary.