Osage Nation To Offer COVID-19 Vaccines To Anyone 18+

The Osage Nation Health Service is hosting three covid-19 vaccination clinics over two days this week which will be open to the general public for anyone ages 18 years old and up who would like to receive their first dose of the Moderna vaccine. 

Monday morning from 7:45 a.m. to 4 p.m., the Civic Center in Pawhuska will be open for walk-ins. Health Service officials say the whole process shouldn’t take more than 20 minutes, mostly since there is a 15 minute holding period after the shot to make sure no imminent side effects are present.

On Tuesday, vaccines will be available at the Hominy Community Center from 9-11:30 a.m. for walk-ins with a valid ID.

Also on Tuesday, the Grayhorse Community center in Fairfax will be open as a “pop up” clinic from 1:30-4 p.m. for walk-ins with a valid ID.

Osage Nation Health Services Chief Executive Officer Ron Shaw says they have plenty of vaccines to give a dose to anyone in any phase that wants one. He says they vaccinated everyone within the Osage Nation that wanted one and now they want to share the doses.

“85% of people in this state are nonnative,” Shaw said. “So a huge pool of an Indian populated state like Oklahoma is nonnatives, that who most of the people are, that’s who we need to be able to vaccinate as well and we have been.”

Shaw says they want to get as many doses into arms as possible so that no vaccine goes to waste.

“At the end of the day all of those vaccines have expiration dates, nobody wants to let them expire, so as long as we have sufficient vaccine, we will continue this as long as we can,” Shaw said.

He says when weighing the options of the vaccine and considering getting a dose, remember the heartache that has come with the past year of our country’s lives.

“It’s beyond protecting yourself,” Shaw said. “By getting yourself vaccinated, you’re protecting your family, your elders in your family, your coworkers as well, so there is more protection than just for oneself so consider that.”

He said there will likely be more clinics open to the general population soon and they will be announcing details when they can.