COVID vax booster clinic continues today

While more and more options for COVID-19 vaccinations are coming open, Northern Montana Health Care is now in its second day of a clinic to let eligible people get a booster shot on their vaccination, and Hill County Health Department is scheduling vaccinations for people 5 to 11 years old.

Northern Montana Health Care's clinic is running today from noon to 7 p.m. at Havre Holiday Village, following a clinic Wednesday in the same location.

Hill County Health Department announced this morning it is taking appointments for 5- to 11-year-olds with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention independent advisory committee's recommended pediatric dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

Appointments are available Wednesday, Nov. 10, and people can call to schedule vaccinations or to learn more, the health department release said.

The clinics come as COVID-19 cases, and deaths, continue to hit the area.

Hill and Blaine county's death tolls for COVID-19-related deaths have gone up by five since last Friday morning, with Hill County recording 64 deaths and Blaine County 27.

Chouteau County's total is at eight deaths and Liberty County is at two deaths.

The counties have seen 147 new cases confirmed since Friday morning.

Statewide, Montana has seen 3,940 new cases since Friday morning and 67 deaths.

And Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this week also expanded who is eligible for vaccination, setting guidelines for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's emergency authorization to administer the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for children ages 5 to 11.

The Johnson & Johnson/Janssen vaccine and the Moderna vaccine have emergency authorization for administration to people ages 18 and older.

Booster shots and initial vaccinations are available at many locations in the area.

In Hill County, vaccinations are available through Bullhook Community Health Center, 406-395-4305; the Hill County Health Department, 406-400-2415; Northern Montana Health Care's Specialty Medical Center at 406-265-7831 or its Family Medical Center at 406-265-5408; Western Drug Pharmacy, 406-265-9601; Gary & Leo's Pharmacy, which takes walk-ins; Walmart; and the Rocky Boy Health Center, 406-395-1655.

Vaccinations are available in Blaine County through Blaine County Health Department, 406-357-2345, and Fort Belknap Health Center, 406-353-3219.

Vaccine is available in Chouteau County at the Chouteau County Health Department, 406-622-3771, and Big Sandy Pharmacy at 406-378-5588.

People can call Liberty County Health Department at 406-759-5517 to schedule a vaccination.

People can use any of the vaccines for a booster regardless of the vaccine they originally received.

People who received Pfizer or Moderna vaccines must wait at least six months from their last shot, and people who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine must wait at least two months since their shot.

People who are eligible are anyone 65 or older, people 18 and older who live in long-term care settings, people 18 and older with qualifying underlying conditions and people 18 and older who live or work in high-risk settings.

During the surge, health officials have continued the message they have given basically from the start of the pandemic.

People should stay home if they don't feel well, the officials say, should regularly wash their hands for at least 20 seconds with soap or with a hand sanitizer including at least 60 percent alcohol, should regularly wash and sanitize surfaces, should wear a mask when in indoor public spaces, and anyone who can should get vaccinated.