As COVID-19 vaccine providers in Missoula County start the transition to vaccinating individuals in Phase 1b, residents can now find up-to-date information about vaccine options by visiting https://covid19.missoula.co/ online or calling 258-INFO if they do not have Internet access.
The Missoula County Vaccine Information page on the website contains information on vaccine providers in the county, including how, when and where each provider is administering the vaccine. Residents with regular healthcare providers should look for that provider’s information on the website. People who do not have regular providers should watch the page for announcements of public clinics, which will begin as more supply of vaccine becomes available. Public clinics will be held soon at the former Lucky’s Market on the south side of Southgate Mall and at the University of Montana. Watch the vaccine information website at https://covid19.missoula.co/ for details on dates and how to register in the next few days.
While vaccine supply will ultimately determine the pace, providers will generally move into Phase 1b by the end of the month. Phase 1b includes residents 70 and older; American Indians and people of color 16 and older, as they may be at elevated risk for COVID-19; and those ages 16-69 with qualifying health conditions. Missoula County residents who meet the 1a criteria but who did not get vaccinated can still be vaccinated as providers move through the phases.
The state allocation of vaccine to each provider will inform each provider’s strategies in scheduling appointments for vaccine administration. Different providers are managing their patients differently and at different speeds as vaccine supply changes for each provider. As they move through the phases, many providers are contacting their eligible patients who meet the current Phase 1b criteria by mail, telephone, e-mail and established website communication platforms. Residents should not call local hospitals or their providers to receive vaccine doses until they have been instructed to by their healthcare provider. Residents should watch the website to track vaccine availability across Missoula County and continue to monitor where the “line” is and where their places are in it.
The website will also link to a map of vaccine providers and a dashboard that tracks vaccination progress in the county.
For those without Internet access, staff at the vaccine call center can assist with information and scheduling for providers with online registration. Residents will be able to access this call center by calling 406-258-INFO and following the prompts. For medical (non-logistical) questions about the vaccine, visit the Missoula City-County Health Department’s Frequently Asked COVID-19 Vaccine Questions page at https://www.missoulainfo.com/vaccine-faq. This information is also available through the call center for those without Internet access.
Residents can help providers by refraining from calling them directly and using the website instead.
Missoula County has 26 vaccine providers registered to administer the COVID-19 vaccine; however, the limiting factor is the availability of vaccine. Missoula City-County Health Department staff recently learned from state health administrators that Missoula County can expect to receive approximately 1,500 first doses each week for the foreseeable future, based on the state’s entire allocation of approximately 13,000 first doses. Missoula County will likely have nearly 40,000 people expecting to receive the vaccine in Phase 1b. The vaccine scarcity is not unique to Missoula County or to Montana; the shortage is nationwide. Health department leaders continue to advocate for more doses at every opportunity. While we wait, they encourage people to continue to take the standard precautions against transmission of the virus: masking, social distancing, washing hands and keeping their social circles small.
The Missoula County COVID-19 Vaccine Coordination Team is managed by the Western Montana All Hazard Incident Management Team under the Office of Emergency Management. The team formed recently at the request of the Missoula County commissioners and the mayor of Missoula to coordinate the distribution of vaccine in Missoula County. The team aims to reduce public anxiety by providing timely, accurate information and to identify and address barriers to administering the vaccine to all who wish to receive it.
“A primary goal of the vaccination coordination team is to inform the public about vaccine availability in Missoula County and to help direct those eligible residents to a vaccination provider,” said Adriane Beck, director of the Missoula County Office of Emergency Management. “Vaccine supply is extremely limited right now, and not every provider will be receiving vaccine. We thank the public for their engagement and encourage people to monitor the website for changing information as supply increases.”
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