Thanks to a federal partnership with Daniel Pharmacy, Webster County will receive another 400 doses of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine for manufacturing and production workers who are unable to social distance at work.

The Webster County Health Department (WCHD) and Daniel Pharmacy learned of the new shipment Monday afternoon. After a whirlwind of positive news and several hours of planning, the single-dose vaccines will be delivered to workers at Elanco, Nestle Purina PetCare and C&S Products Co. Inc. on Thursday and Friday.

The doses, received from the federal government through the Community Pharmacy Enhanced Service Network that Daniel Pharmacy is part of, must be used in manufacturing employer settings. WCHD asked local manufacturers to prioritize production workers who are unable to social distance, have coexisting high-risk medical conditions and those over 65.

Local health departments are ineligible for the doses sent directly to pharmacies through federal pharmacy networks, and a pharmacist must be on-site when vaccines are given.

“The time frame is fast from the time that the vaccine is sent to when it must be given, so the partnership between WCHD and Daniel Pharmacy allows the vaccine to be provided quickly,” said Kelli Bloomquist, public information officer for WCHD. “WCHD has the capacity and scheduling capabilities.”

WCHD will process all paperwork and provide five staff members to help administer the vaccines. Daniel Pharmacy will be responsible for a registry and will be able to bill an administrative fee common for giving the COVID-19 vaccine.

“This is another win for Webster County residents. The coordination between Daniel Pharmacy and WCHD will allow for 400 residents to be vaccinated this week,” said Kari Prescott, director of WCHD. “We are excited and thankful to be working alongside a local pharmacy that is so welcoming and has residents’ health at the forefront.”

Daniel Pharmacist Lisa Flaherty said there would be potential for even more Johnson & Johnson vaccines in the future, noting that the partnership with Webster County Health allows them to provide the vaccines as quickly and safely as possible — a primary goal of the pharmacy tasked with the vaccines still in scarce supply.

“The most important thing is that we are doing the best we can for our county and communities and we appreciate the help that Public Health can provide,” said John Daniel, owner of the pharmacy. “We are proud to be able to help get our community vaccinated to help stop this pandemic.”

Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine, approved for emergency use by the Food and Drug Administration on Feb. 28, was first distributed by the state to a selection of counties with significant populations of essential frontline workers in industries where social distancing isn’t feasible. Buena Vista and Wright counties, both home to meat packing plants, were two of 17 counties that split the first Iowa shipment of 25,600 doses.