BOZEMAN — For residents who wish to stay up-to-date on COVID-19 vaccination in Gallatin County, a new tool is available to receive those updates right on your phone or email.
According to a press release from the Gallatin City-County Health Department, this opt-in notification system will provide direct updates as Gallatin County moves through the vaccine distribution phases.
Notifications will include: - information on which phase we are currently in, who is eligible, and when we move into different phases - current mechanisms for registering eligible people to receive vaccines - other important vaccine distribution information Please note, this system is NOT for signing up for vaccinations, but rather to receive notifications on when and where residents can do so.
“These tools provide the community another way to receive status updates as we move through the vaccination process with our limited supply of vaccine,” said Patrick Lonergan, chief of Gallatin County Emergency Management.
In addition to this notification system, county officials will provide important vaccine distribution information on their website, on their social media channels, through their COVID-19 Call Center, and through the local media.
Instructions to receive text messages: Send a text message to 888777 with one of the following messages (all one word with no spaces as written):
- Phase1b ● Phase1c ● Phase2 You will then receive an acknowledgment of terms text followed by a confirmation message. You must send individual texts for each of the phases you want to receive notifications for.
Instructions to receive email messages: Send a blank email to one of the following email addresses: ● 1b+subscribe@apps.gcem.us ● 1c+subscribe@apps.gcem.us ● 2+subscribe@apps.gcem.us
You will then receive a confirmation email that you either have to respond to, or click the link, to activate your membership in the notification list. After confirming, you will receive a second email confirming membership. You can subscribe to notifications for any or all of the phases, but you must sign up for each phase you’re interested in individually.
Gallatin County is gearing up to vaccinate even more residents as the community enters Phase 1B of vaccine distribution. Those who will be initially prioritized in Phase 1B will be residents who are 80 and older, and American Indians and other people of color, as our vaccine supply continues to be limited at this time.
The Gallatin City-County Health Department has been notified that they will receive more vaccine doses the week of Jan. 24 and are in the process of scheduling additional points of dispensing (PODs) for that week. They are utilizing healthcare providers to contact eligible people and get them scheduled. They do NOT have open sign-ups for appointments in Phase 1B at this time. Anyone who was eligible for vaccines as part of Phase 1A will still be eligible when we move into subsequent phases. The Gallatin City-County Health Department Call Center is open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. to answer questions about COVID-19. Reach the Call Center by phone at 406-548-0123 or email at callcenter@readygallatin.com.