Daines urges Montanans to get COVID vaccination when available

U.S. Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., said Wednesday that he was one of the people who participated in a trial of the vaccine pharmaceutical company Pfizer says appears to be 95 percent effective in preventing COVID-19, and he encourages everyone to get the vaccination if it is approved and becomes available.

Daines said part of the reason he wanted to be part of the test is to encourage all Montanans to get vaccinated once it is available.

"My goal in all of this is to help build confidence and trust for Montanans and the American people who are wondering if they should take the vaccine when it is approved," he said during a press conference Wednesday. "This is about saving lives. We are seeing that firsthand in Montana this is about supporting our healthcare heroes. This is about protecting Montana jobs and workers and rebuilding our economy. 

"And it's also about American innovation," Daines continued. "It's about restoring hope. It's about restoring normalcy into our way of life."

He said he was contacted by his mother, who told him that Pfizer was looking for people in the Bozeman area to participate in the trial. He, his wife and his mother and father all participated in the trial, receiving one shot and a booster about a month later.

He said participants were not told whether they received the vaccine or a placebo, but he experienced some slight symptoms after each shot and now has tested positive for COVID-19 antibodies so he believes he received the actual vaccine.

Daines said other than slight soreness in his arm, similar to after receiving an influenza shot, and slight chills the evening after receiving each shot, chills which were gone by morning, he had no side effects.

He said Pfizer said it has completed Phase 3 of its trial and it is now going into scientific review.

Daines said he hopes the vaccine will be approved and available within a couple of months.

He said he has made research and development of a vaccine and treatment his top priority in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, working to include $10 billion in the CARES Act COVID-19 relief package passed in March.

He said he hopes a vaccine - another being tested by Moderna also is showing great promise - is out soon, but until then, and until it is distributed, people need to keep practicing personal responsibility, to be smart and protect their communities by how they act to reduce the spread of the virus.

He said much work and planning already has gone into distributing a vaccine once it is available, with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention working directly with states including Montana to plan distribution.

"I am confident it will be a very well-thought out and executed plan once approved," he said.

He said the first distribution will prioritize people at the highest risk - that list includes elderly and people with underlying health conditions - and front-line health care workers.

"They will be some of the first to receive the vaccine," Daines said.

He said the distribution in Montana will likely start with areas that have the greatest needs, but he added that, as a lawmaker representing a rural state he wants to make sure rural areas are included in that distribution.

He said he wants to make sure rural areas have the resources they need to do the vaccinations.

He said the storage of the vaccine - it needs to be stored in the long-term in supercooled conditions - could raise issues with rural distribution, but cold storage is just for the long term. Daines said it will remain viable for a limited time at warmer temperatures.

He said one of the reasons he wanted to do the trial was to counter fears and misinformation about COVID vaccines and help build trust and confidence for Montanans and the American people. While he doesn't support mandating everyone gets vaccinated, Daines said, he encourages everyone to do so.

"This is going to save lives," he said. "This is going to bring our communities back to normal again."