THOMPSON FALLS — The Sanders County Health Department is providing an update on COVID-19 vaccination efforts.
There are two lists currently being used that Sanders County residents seeking COVID-19 vaccination shots should get their names on.
Clark Fork Valley Hospital (CFVH) and the Sanders County Health Department -- which are each receiving doses of the vaccine as allocated by the State of Montana -- are both conducting vaccination programs.
CFVH has created a list generated by an online survey registration form that residents are being asked to fill out. Additionally, the Sanders County Health Department has created a list generated through phone calls to (406) 827-6931.
Residents are being asked to the CFVH Facebook page for quick access to the hospital’s survey form to register on their list. The other option is to leave a message if directed to an answering service at the county office. Calls will be returned as promptly as possible.
Sanders County officials are recommending that people get their names on both lists, and to take the first shot offered to them by either the CFVH or the county. Individuals will be called and offered appointments for the shots based on their position on the list, and the current availability of the vaccine.
Priority for the vaccine will be given based on age, pre-existing conditions and availability of the vaccine. CFVH and the county will call residents when there is vaccine available and schedule your appointment.
CFVH has administered several hundred vaccinations while the county, which has been receiving a much smaller quantity of the vaccine than the hospital, has administered almost 100 doses to date and completed 10, according to a social media post.
Any questions regarding this process can be directed to the Sanders County Health Department at (406) 827-6931.
“We realize people want to be vaccinated as soon as possible. Medical and county personnel are doing their best to meet the public’s needs during the unprecedented modern-era pandemic we are now going through,” the announcement reads.
Residents who do not have internet access to the Clark Fork Valley Hospital COVID-19 survey form can contact the Sanders County Council on Aging for help in completing the survey by phone. The number to call is (406) 741-2343 Monday through Thursday between 8 a.m. And 4 p.m.
Residents who want to access the CFVH link to their COVID-19 survey and registration form electronically can click here.
The latest information from the Montana COVID-19 tracking map shows that 691 COVID-19 vaccines have been provided to Sanders County residents and 88 people are fully immunized.
There have been 559 total COVID-19 cases confirmed in Sanders County including 545 recoveries and nine COVID-19 related deaths.