Demand higher than supply of COVID-19 vaccine
The COVID-19 vaccine, created by Pfizer and BioNTech, arrived at Kalispell Regional Medical Center on Dec. 15. (Photo courtesy of Kalispell Regional)
Availability of the COVID-19 vaccine continues to be limited and the number of people wanting the vaccine is outpacing supply, the Flathead City-County Health Department says.
In partnership with Kalispell Regional Healthcare and North Valley Hospital, the health department has administered about 7,000 total vaccine doses and about 2,200 individuals are fully immunized.
“Currently, the number of people who want the vaccine in our county is far greater than the doses we are getting from federal supplies,” said Joe Russell, Health Officer of the Flathead City-County Health Department. “Our staff is working diligently to schedule and administer vaccine, and we are asking the public for their continued patience. Distributing vaccine through the entirety of Tier 1B is going to take several months, but rest assured that if you have been added to the waitlist you will receive a call to schedule your COVID-19 vaccination.”
Those in Tier 1B include persons age 70 or over, people of color who may be at elevated risk for COVID-19 complications and those with high risk medical conditions.
The number of appointments available for vaccination depend on the amount of vaccines shipped here each week, according to the health department.
Depending on supply, clinics for the COVID-19 vaccine are expected to be held weekly at the Flathead County Fairgrounds and at Grouse Mountain Lodge in Whitefish beginning this month.
Vaccinations are being distributed to those in the Tier 1B, according to the Flathead City-County Health Department.
Appointments for both the Kalispell and Whitefish clinic locations will be scheduled through the health department call center at 406-751-8119. Callers are asked to leave a voicemail with their name, date of birth and phone number.
A vaccination request form is also available at https://www.flatheadhealth.org/vaccine-request-form/.
The call center continues to experience extremely high call volume, to help the system run most effectively, individuals are encouraged to leave only one voicemail or one online submission. Calls for scheduling will be returned in the order in which they are received. The health department notes that it could take several weeks before you receive a scheduling call.
For updated weekly information, visit the Flathead City-County Health Department COVID-19 vaccine webpage at https://flatheadhealth.org/covid-19-vaccine/.