Most first responders in Linn, Johnson counties have COVID-19 vaccines

A majority of first responders at major municipal and county departments in Linn and Johnson counties have chosen to get vaccinated against COVID-19, according to the agencies that are keeping track.

But even though first responders interact with the public, not all agencies are counting.

Among the departments that are, vaccination rates range from 55 to 95 percent of their first-responders.

In Cedar Rapids, public safety spokesperson Greg Buelow said about 70 percent - or roughly 190 - of the city's sworn police officers and dispatchers, and 80 percent - or roughly 115 - of the city's firefighters have been vaccinated.

In Johnson County, Chief Deputy Randy Lamm said the Sheriff's Office employs 97 full-time employees, one part-time employee and 31 reserves. Of those 129, Lamm said 72 - about 56 percent - had been vaccinated as of the beginning of March. Seven more employees were scheduled to be vaccinated at that time.

The Iowa City Police Department reported a vaccination rate of roughly 94 percent. According to Capt. Denise Brotherton, 74 of the department's 79 officers opted to get vaccinated.

Two departments were unable to provide the vaccine rates.

Iowa City Fire Chief John Grier said he didn't have a definitive number. Linn County Sheriff Brian Gardner also said was not able to provide the vaccine rate among his 200 employees.

'We do not track who has or has not received the vaccine,” Gardner told The Gazette in an email. 'We are not requiring anyone to get vaccinated; they are encouraged to get the vaccine as it becomes available to them based on the CDC eligibility phases. Otherwise our employees are directed to wear face masks, follow social distancing guidelines, and wash their hands (and) use hand sanitizer frequently.”

Area Ambulance, which serves Cedar Rapids and over a dozen surrounding communities, declined to comment. The ambulance service told The Gazette last month that as of Feb. 17, 65 of its 70 full-time employees were vaccinated. That's nearly 93 percent.

First responder jobs are inherently risky, whether it be a firefighter, a law enforcement officer or an emergency medical professional. During the pandemic - given that first responders were still required to have contact with the public daily - that risk increased exponentially.

In the past year, Buelow said Cedar Rapids officers and firefighters combined have experienced as many as 2,500 COVID-19 exposures.

That risk, and the daily need for healthy first responders to show up and do their jobs, is one reason they were among the first to become eligible for vaccinations.

Dr. Jorge Salinas, an epidemiologist at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, said the risk of first responders declining to be vaccinated is likely low.

'I like to think of vaccines not as an individual health matter, but as a public health matter,” he said. 'So what is more important is that we vaccinate a large proportion of the population.”

Salinas said that as vaccines become more widely available, and more Iowans get immunized, the lower the risk of public interactions, even if that involves an unvaccinated person.

But, since you can't tell if a person has been vaccinated just by looking, Salinas said the safest interactions are still those conducted at a distance, in a well-ventilated space, for a short time and with all parties wearing masks.

Guidelines at the first responder agencies in Linn and Johnson counties require their employees to adhere to these guidelines.

'We should definitely be praising those who choose to get vaccinated, and especially first responders,” Salinas said. 'They are leading by example and making our society safer and keeping themselves safe so they can do their jobs.”

Comments: (319) 398-8238; kat.russell@thegazette.com

Lee Hermiston of The Gazette contributed to this report.