CADIZ — The Harrison County Health Department is conducting a data collection survey to gather information on potential Phase 1B COVID-19 vaccine recipients.

Administrator Garen Rhome said the health department already received hundreds of responses since launching the survey Wednesday evening. As of Thursday, the health department had garnered more than 400 responses from those interested in receiving the vaccine in Phase 1B.

“We’ve had a truly incredible response in Harrison County,” he said.

The interested parties must fit into the Phase 1B category that includes residents 65 years of age or older, those living with severe congenital, developmental or early on-set medical disorders, and adults who work in schools.

According to the most recent U.S. Census Bureau estimates, 21.8 percent of residents in the county are 65 or older. Rhome said that is around 3,300 residents who are eligible in that portion of Phase 1B.

There is still no set date for when the health department will begin administering the vaccine to eligible Phase 1B individuals. The survey is strictly for planning purposes and will aid the department in collecting data on those interested once it becomes available.

The survey includes just three questions — the individual’s name, phone number and the category the individual fits under in Phase 1B.

Rhome said the survey was created in response to public inquiries. In order to help reduce the high call volume the department was fielding in regards to the vaccine, the survey was created to help residents communicate their interest in receiving the vaccine in the second phase.

“We’ve had such a high response from the public interested in receiving the vaccine and who are likely in that 1B-eligible population. They are ready and they’re excited and they’re on board with getting the vaccine,” he said. “We wanted to create a mechanism for all those interested parties.”

Rhome said the survey will allow the health department to be more efficient in its planning efforts when it is able to move forward into Phase 1B.

“We’ll have basic contact information so we can try to craft schedules or clinics,” he said. “The survey will help cut down on the call volume, and we’ll be able to get some planning and scheduling in place so that when we move into Phase 1B we can start to make contact with them.”

Rhome urges residents to help their older family members, friends or neighbors complete the survey.

The department is still working on a plan for how it will administer the vaccine for Phase 1B, but collecting the information through the survey is a great starting point, Rhome said.

The health department is more than 50 percent finished inoculating those in Phase 1A, Rhome said. The majority of those remaining in the initial phase include residents and staff of the Board of Developmental Disabilities congregate living facility, he said.

Those interested in completing the survey can visit surveymonkey.com/r/Harrison_PHASE1B. The link can also be found on the health department’s website or Facebook page.