Laughlin’s 1st vaccine clinic opens to glad, grateful residents

Hundreds of older Laughlin residents lined up on the second floor of the Aquarius casino early Wednesday for the town’s first COVID-19 vaccine clinic.

Jack Boykin, 84, said the shot was painless and so was the line, which moved quickly. Scheduling an appointment online was easy, too — or so said the barista at a nearby coffee shop who helped Boykin book it, since Boykin said he’s not the most tech savvy.

“I really have to recommend that people come on down and get their shot because it’s a piece of cake, there’s nothing to it at all,” Boykin said. “I can’t say enough about how great it was, it’s just super.”

Boykin said he was able to schedule a March 3 appointment for his second dose once he got his first.

The Laughlin clinic ran from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, and will operate under the same hours Thursday. In total, it will provide 2,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine to eligible residents in Laughlin. As of Wednesday, all appointments were booked.

Clark County Commissioner Michael Naft said Wednesday that ensuring all Clark County residents, including those in Laughlin, have easy access to the vaccine is a “top priority.” More than 8,000 people live in the Laughlin area, and about 30 percent are 70 or older, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2019 American Community Survey.

“Clark County is a really unique jurisdiction — we have very dense urban populations, but we also have rural communities and outlying areas like Laughlin,” Naft said. “So we’re making sure that we are tailoring the approach to the communities we’re trying to target.”

“That includes making sure that we’re not only relying on internet access and computers,” he said, adding that the Southern Nevada Health District and the county have phone lines available to help answer people’s questions and schedule appointments.

Joyce Moreno, the Volunteers in Partnership liaison to the Laughlin Chamber of Commerce, said she was thrilled with the turnout and the help from Clark County.

“They’ve kept everything moving really quickly and smoothly and we’ve seen a great turnout without any hiccups,” Moreno said.

Jo-Ann Martin, 71, said she was relieved to see a vaccination site in Laughlin, especially after she and many of her friends were told by their doctors across the river in Bullhead City, Arizona, that Nevada residents could not get vaccinated in Arizona.

“We were all wondering when it would come to Laughlin, so I’m really happy to see it here,” Martin said. “We could drive to Vegas, but we shouldn’t have to. Nobody wants to drive two hours, wait in line, then drive another two hours back.”

Contact Alexis Ford at aford@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0335. Follow @alexisdford on Twitter.