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Mineral Community Hospital delivers COVID-19 vaccines

by Mineral Independent
| February 24, 2021 12:05 AM

The week of Jan. 20, the Mineral County community moved into Phase 1B of the Montana State Vaccine Allocation Plan for COVID-19.

Mineral County is receiving allocations from Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services regularly for the individuals that qualify for Phase 1B.

The Mineral County Health Department and the Mineral Community Hospital are working collaboratively to receive and deliver vaccines in our community.

Mineral County has been receiving the Moderna COVID-19 vaccination. This is a two-shot series, with doses administered approximately four weeks apart.

Mineral County residents who meet the following conditions are currently eligible to receive a vaccination in Phase 1B:

 Persons aged 70 years and older

 American Indians and other people of color who may be at elevated risk

COVID-19 complications

 Persons aged 16-69 with high-risk medical conditions. Qualifying medical conditions include:

o Cancer

o Chronic kidney disease

o COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)

o Down Syndrome

o Heart conditions, such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, or cardiomyopathies

o Immunocompromised state (weakened immune system) from solid organ transplant

o Severe Obesity (BMI ≥ 40 kg/m2)

o Sickle cell disease

o Type 1 and 2 Diabetes mellitus

o On a case by case basis, medical providers may include individuals with other conditions that place them at elevated risk for COVID-19 related complications.

If you meet the qualifications as described above you must provide your name, phone number, address and birthday in a voicemail at 406-822-3564 or email message to healthinfo@co.mineral.mt.us.

Messages are maintained in a chronological list in the order the requests for vaccination were received.

When vaccine is shipped, the MCHD or MCH will contact you to schedule an appointment based on your your position on the list.

“There is no perfect solution for registration. It can be hard to get the message out, especially when we have very little notification ahead of receiving a shipment.

The health department uses social media and posts flyers at the local post offices and grocery stores but we know not everyone that is eligible sees the information. If you know someone that is eligible and may need assistance, we ask family, friends and neighbors to reach out and offer to assist with making a call to get them on the waiting list.

"As we move forward into other phases, we hope to begin to utilize an online registration system that will streamline the process for registration and allow those that qualify more flexibility in securing appointment times that fit into their schedule,” stated Barb Jasper, public health nurse at the Mineral County Health Department.”

The health department requests that if you are not over 70 or do not have one of the very specific conditions that qualify you to receive vaccine in Phase 1B that you not call to be put on the list at this time.

This helps speed up the screening part of appointment scheduling.

Governor Greg Gianforte’s COVID-19 vaccine allocation plan anticipates that it will take at least two months for all Montanans in these populations to receive their first dose of the vaccine.

Mineral County is estimated to have more than 1,700 individuals that may qualify for vaccine in Phase 1B. We have currently received 4,300 doses for those in Phase 1B and have an additional 100 slated to arrive later this week.

All doses received have been administered within three days of arrival in our clinic.

“We are very aware that the demand exceeds the supply in Mineral County and throughout the United States. Our top priority is receiving as many as we can get through the state dose allocation system and then turning around and delivering them to those that qualify without delay.

"We hear the public and their frustration in having to wait for vaccine. We have taken requests from those that qualify and we call them for an appointment based on the time we received their request after we were first notified that we would start receiving vaccine on Jan. 20, 2021. Our chronological list is long; it will still be several weeks before we get all the people that have called vaccinated,” Jasper said.

The county has made the choice to deliver vaccines in a drive up format to maximize safety and efficiency.

Those with an appointment come to a check in station and show their ID to enter in the line at a specified time to be vaccinated.

They fill out a questionnaire, are screened for contraindications, vaccinated and moved to an observation area for 15-30 minutes after their vaccine.

“We wanted to make sure that we could honor social distancing and not put those coming for a vaccine at risk. A drive thru format seemed the safest option for our community.

"There is absolutely no way we could pull this off without the help of our local fire, QRU, emergency service and USFS volunteers. Our volunteers are dedicated to helping out even though winter weather conditions make it a little more challenging.”

Despite the beginning of vaccinations, we encourage individuals and businesses to continue to take prevention seriously.

Known prevention measures include:

  1. Stay home when you are sick.
  2. Wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds throughout the day; use hand sanitizer when a sink is not available.
  3. Wear a mask covering your mouth and nose when you are in public.
  4. Maintain a distance of 6 feet between you and others that do not live in your household.

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