HAMILTON — Ravalli County Public Health has announced that beginning next week the COVID-19 vaccine will be available to all residents age 16 and above.
Some local providers have already begun scheduling appointments for this new opportunity, according to a news release.
Ravalli County providers are continuing to receive primarily allocations of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine through the state vaccine program, with occasional small allocations of the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines.
“Our community is grateful for the support from Rocky Mountain Laboratories and Marcus Daly Memorial Hospital in the storage and handling of the Pfizer vaccine in Ravalli County,” Ravalli County Public Health Director Tiffany Webber said.
Webber also noted that “due to the large amount of our population that is now eligible to receive a vaccine, it is likely that you will see changes in existing registration programs, vaccine clinics, and possibly even additional providers or large vaccine events in our county.”
“Please keep in mind that this will not happen quickly; several months remain in this process. We ask for your patience in the coming months as all of our providers work together to quickly and efficiently provide the vaccine to our community,” Webber concluded.
There are currently COVID-19 vaccine appointments available at several Bitterroot Valley providers. Residents are being asked to check with their local pharmacy or the providers listed on the Ravalli County website for appointment opportunities.
Ravalli County residents age 70 and above who not yet received a vaccine, or an appointment are asked to contact Ravalli County Public Health at (406)-375-6672 to request an appointment.
The Montana COVID-19 tracking map shows that 16,180 vaccinations have been administered and 5,802 people are fully immunized. To date, there have been a total of 2,852 cases have been confirmed
in Ravalli County including 2,764 recoveries and 30 COVID-19 related deaths.