Page 40 - Jon Ebelt News Today

State health department director Adam Meier is stepping down. He will leave the state Department of Public Health and Human Services on August 12, citing a family health issue.

There are a little more than 62,000 children younger than 5 years old statewide, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates. While Montana health officials expect more vaccines for kids in that age group to be ordered in the coming weeks, demand could be lower compared to older children.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration greenlighted both Moderna and Pfizer’s shots for young children today and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is expected to follow suit this weekend.

The ACLU of Montana wants clarification from a Billings judge on whether the Gianforte administration defied a court order when it published an emergency rule prohibiting transgender Montanans from changing their birth certificates.

The ACLU of Montana wants clarification from a Billings judge on whether the Gianforte administration defied a court order when it published an emergency rule prohibiting transgender Montanans from changing their birth certificates.

Last month the state issued an emergency rule blocking all changes to birth certificates unless in the case of a data entry error.

Montana prepares for ordering the Pfizer and Moderna COVID vaccines from the federal government, which could arrive as early as June 21.

Montana state health department spokesperson Jon Ebelt says the state is ordering vaccines in anticipation of the approval, but didn’t say how many. He says providers could receive the vaccines by June 21, which is the earliest they could be administered following approval.

Mike Randol took over May 31 as head of Montana’s Medicaid program, which serves 280,000 people who live in low-income households or have disabilities in a state of 1.1 million people. The program has a roughly $2.3 billion annual budget, with the federal government picking up about 80% of the total.

Montana state health department spokesperson Jon Ebelt says the state is ordering vaccines in anticipation of the approval, but didn’t say how many. He says providers could receive the vaccines by June 21, which is the earliest they could be administered following approval.