Vaccinations continue through area, caution still urged

After what appeared to be a bump in the road was overcome, vaccination clinics are continuing in Hill County this week.

Hill County Health Department Health Director and Hill County Health Officer Kim Larson issued a release this morning saying the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine was experiencing shipment delays, but shortly afterward updated that to day the shipment was coming.

Larson said health officials will have 200 doses for first-dose appointments this week, and people who are eligible under the Phase 1B of the vaccine schedule Montana is in can call for appointments at 400-2369.

The waiting list at that time did not have 200 names, so people could still get an appointment for this week, Larson said.

The original notice said Northern Montana Hospital had its doses for the second shots it had scheduled.

Fort Belknap Indian Community Council has a post on its Facebook page saying vaccinations are available to the general public, 18 or older, and Fort Belknap Indian Community members can call 353-3219 to schedule an appointment.

Blaine County Health Department posted earlier this month that it is collecting information from people who want to be vaccinated and scheduling appointments as allotments of the vaccine allows. People are asked to call 357-2345.

Havre's Western Drug Pharmacy also announced it had received a shipment of the Moderna vaccine and is scheduling appointments for vaccinations, and Gary & Leo's Health Mart reports it is approved and on a waiting list and is just waiting on allocations on the vaccine to start scheduling appointments.

But people still are being warned to be careful.

Rocky Boy Health Center has posted on its Facebook page a message from Centers of Disease Control and Prevention that although vaccines are arriving, until enough people are vaccinated everyone must do their part to continue to slow the transmission of the disease. People need to watch their distance, wear masks and avoid crowds indoors and out, the post says.

The state map tracking vaccinations shows Hill County at 4,733 of the 12,328 eligible to be vaccinated have received shots, with 3,310 with just dose one administered and 1,423 fully immunized. That equates to 383.9 doses per 1,000 people.

Blaine County is shown to have 2,251 total doses administered to the 4,901 eligible people in its population, 1,650 first doses only and 601 people fully immunized. That equates to 458.5 doses per 1,000 people.

Chouteau County is listed as having 1,344 total doses administered to the 4,545 eligible people in its population, with 952 first doses only administered and 392 people fully immunized. That equates to 295.7 doses per 1,000 people.

Liberty County is listed as having administered 416 total doses in its 1,917 eligible people in its population, with 307 first-dose only vaccinations and 109 people fully immunized. That equates to 217 doses per 1,000 people.

The tracking map says 216,383 total doses have been administered statewide and 68,191 Montanans were fully immunized.

The map, along with the latest update on COVID-19 cases, local vaccine contacts, COVID-19 demographics, frequently asked questions and other information can be accessed online through links at https://montana.maps.arcgis.com and at https://covid19.mt.gov .