Montana vaccine allocation increasing as state begins Phase 2
Greg Gianforte
Gov. Greg Gianforte announced in a press conference Wednesday that the state would be receiving 15,000 more doses of vaccine starting this week, bringing the weekly allocation of vaccine to almost 42,000. He said the state will receive 15,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine, 11,000 Moderna vaccines and nearly 16,000 of the Johnson & Johnson vaccines, which will be distributed to Montanans as the state moves into Phase 2 of it s vaccine rollout plan, which includes everyone 16 years and older, today. April 1 is a big day for Montana as we confront the virus and work to return to more norm.
Gov. Steve Bullock provided an update regarding the state s COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan on Wednesday to incorporate federal recommendations and timelines.
The updated plan provides estimated timelines for distribution for Phases 1a, 1b and 1c including the final phase, which is when vaccines are expected to be available to all Montanans by early summer 2021. The plan also identifies which groups are recommended to receive the vaccine in each phase. As the first phase of Montana s COVID-19 vaccination plan is fully under way, it s inspiring to see that thousands of health care workers have already been vaccinated and that it s now reaching staff and residents of long-term care facilities, Bullock said in the announcement.
Editorâs Note: This story has been updated to reflect Karna Rhodes full name and title, senior living Administrator at St. Johnâs United.
When Joyce Hill and her husband operated an assisted living facility in the Billings Heights in the 1990s, theyâd plan activities to get residents moving and out of their rooms.
Now, 80-year-old Hill lives in a St. Johnâs United assisted living facility in Billings and must keep to herself as COVID-19 cases continue to climb in the state.
âThere are days where itâs been pretty depressing, but you have to put your mind to where youâre going,â Hill said.
Montana prepares for initial COVID-19 vaccinations fairfieldsuntimes.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from fairfieldsuntimes.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The first doses could arrive as early as next Tuesday, and will be prioritized for health care workers and assisted living facilities.
When 9,750 doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine arrive in Montana as early as next Tuesday, the delivery will mark the beginning of a complex distribution plan organized by public health officials, hospital administrations and commercial pharmacies.
The goal of the initial round of distribution, state officials say, is to get the vaccine to as many frontline health care workers as possible. As of Tuesday, Montana reported 17,293 active cases, with approximately 70% of the stateâs ICU beds full, and 38% of those occupied by COVID-19 patients. Scores of health care workers have had to stay home sick or quarantine because of exposure to COVID-positive patients.