Idaho teachers, first responders, frontline workers next up to get COVID-19 vaccine

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Containing the Coronavirus

BOISE, Idaho – On Tuesday, Governor Brad Little announced updates on the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine in Idaho.

Since mid-December, more than 33,000 long-term care facility staff and residents and healthcare workers have received vaccines.

“We plan to accelerate the pace while ensuring a sustainable cadence of vaccination moving forward,” Governor Little said.

Governor Little assured providers there are ample resources available to them to get vaccinations administered as quickly as possible.

The Governor also announced that in the coming days he will roll out a new plan so that providers have the financial support to administer shots as quickly as possible.

During a news conference on Tuesday, the Governor said The State of Idaho has received millions of dollars to ensure the efficient rollout of vaccine, and there are no resource barriers.

Gov. Little also announced a new dashboard that can be found at Coronavirus.Idaho.Gov that will detail progress made on vaccine distribution across the state.

Finally, the Governor announced his decision to adopt the recommendation of the COVID-10 Vaccine Advisory Committee to open up the next phase of vaccine rollout to teachers, frontline workers and Idahoans aged 65 and over.

This will include an estimated 500,000 Idahoans.

Governor Little said he will prioritize teachers, school staff, first responders, and some other frontline workers between Jan. 13-31 before making doses available to the 65-and-up population.

“The 65-and-older population is enormous, and there is still work actively being done to build up capacity among our providers to take on this population. We do not want to create a bubble or backlog. Once we get a handle on capacity, we will be able to get to the 65-and-older population,” Governor Little said.

Idahoans aged 65-and-older will be able to access vaccinations between Feb. 1-15.

Idahoans are encouraged to contact their local public health district for information about where to access a vaccination. Additional resources on the COVID-19 vaccine rollout is available at https://coronavirus.idaho.gov/covid-19-vaccine/.


 

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