WILL THERE BE ENOUGH VACCINE FOR EVERYONE?
- Yes! There will be enough doses of the COVID-19 vaccine for all who are
interested in getting vaccinated.
CAN I GET ON A LIST TO BE NOTIFIED WHEN I’M ELIGIBLE FOR THE VACCINE?
- Not yet. Currently we are not getting the amount of vaccine doses we’ve
been requesting. For example, for the week of January 11th we requested
400 doses and received 100. Because we are still vaccinating front-line
care workers, we don’t have enough to move into Phase 1B yet (for
the general public who are 70 and older). However, the federal government
recently announced they will release more doses so vaccination efforts
can move quicker. Once we can begin offering the vaccine to the public,
we will post that information here and will work with Public Health on
making that announcement to the community.
WHEN WILL I BE ABLE TO GET THE COVID-19 VACCINE?
As per instructions by the Federal and State Government, we may only distribute
the vaccine to pre-approved populations at specific times. The
approximate timeline for each phase of vaccination is as follows:
-
Phase 1A – December 28, 2020 – February 26, 2021
- For frontline healthcare workers and those with direct patient contact
or virus exposure – not for the general public at this time.
-
Phase 1B – Estimated to be January 15, 2021 – March 15, 2021
-
For persons 75 years and older, frontline essential workers and other at
risk populations. View full details and timeline on the
Montana Government website
here
-
Phase 1C – Estimated to be March 15, 2021 – July 15, 2021
-
For persons 65 years and older and other essential workers. View full details
and timeline on the
Montana Government website
here
-
Phase 2 – Estimated July 2021
-
For all remaining Montanans aged 16 and older. View full details and timeline on the
Montana Government website
here
Marcus Daly Memorial Hospital is legally unable to alter this timeline
and directive as set forth by the State of Montana and the Federal Government.
For further questions please contact the
Ravalli County Public Health Department (406) 375-6672, Monday – Friday 8am- 5pm (closed 12noon – 1pm).
We anticipate getting our supply of the vaccine for the public by Spring
or early Summer, and will communicate at that time how and when you can
obtain the vaccination.
WHO IS GETTING THE COVID-19 VACCINE FIRST?
- The Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will oversee distribution
of the vaccine throughout the U.S. The first allotment will be a limited
supply, so federal officials have announced that only health care professionals
and residents of long-term care facilities may be the first to receive
the COVID-19 vaccinations.
- Marcus Daly Memorial Hospital (MDMH) will receive the COVID-19 vaccine
the fourth or fifth week of December. Once we have the vaccine, we will
communicate directly with health care professionals at MDMH and other
providers in our community, about how and when they can receive their vaccine.
WHICH VACCINE WILL MDMH HAVE?
- We will receive the Moderna vaccine in December 2020 for frontline healthcare
workers in Ravalli County. At this point, we don’t know whether
we’ll receive the Pfizer vaccine or the Moderna vaccine intended
for members of the public (arriving either in spring or summer of 2021).
Once we know which vaccine we will receive, we’ll communicate how
and when you can sign up for vaccination.
WILL THERE BE A COST FOR THE COVID-19 VACCINE?
- No, there will be no cost to you for the vaccine. Under Operation Warp
Speed, the vaccine doses were purchases with taxpayer dollars and the
federal government requires it be offered at no cost.
DO I STILL NEED TO WEAR A MASK IF I GET THE VACCINE?
- Yes. It will still be important to use all tools available to us to help
stop this pandemic, like covering your mouth and nose with a mask, washing
hands often, and staying at least 6 feet away from others.
WHY SHOULD I CONSIDER THE VACCINE?
- The vaccine will be a vital part of all measures taken to help end this
pandemic. We know it will take a long time for widespread vaccination
and immunity to be achieved. Along with wearing masks, washing hands,
and distancing, the vaccination will help us get past this pandemic quicker
and potentially with less lives lost.
HOW WAS THE COVID-19 VACCINE DEVELOPED SO QUICKLY?
- The scientific community was able to utilize previous vaccine research
on other coronaviruses, as well as using new methods of developing vaccines,
which allowed development to move quickly. Due to the pandemic’s
high infection rates, the pace of clinical trials, which is usually the
longest part of vaccine development, was greatly accelerated. The federal
government invested significantly in the necessary manufacturing capacity
to support companies as they aggressively pursued rapid development and
distribution.
IS THE COVID-19 VACCINE SAFE?
- Before any vaccine is permitted for use in the U.S., it must be reviewed
and approved by the FDA. Normally this process can take a long time but
in this case, the federal government sped up processing for the COVID-19
vaccines. An Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) is issued during public
health emergencies, such as the current COVID-19 pandemic, to ensure scientific
innovation and medical solutions aren’t held back by administrative
processes, and are brought to the public more quickly. For an EUA to be
issued for a vaccine, the FDA determines that the known and potential
benefits outweigh the known and potential risks of the vaccine. The COVID-19
vaccines have been tested in large clinical trials that included tens
of thousands of study participants, to ensure the vaccines meet safety
standards and to see how they offer protection to people of different
ages, races and those with different medical conditions.
ARE THERE SIDE EFFECT FOR THE VACCINES?
- Like most regularly recommended vaccines, the COVID-19 vaccine can produce
some side effects in some people. Some have reported fevers, headache,
fatigue, muscle aches and soreness around injection sites. These symptoms
are an expected sign that the body is building immunity.
FACTS vs. MYTHS ABOUT THE COVID-19 VACCINE:
- The vaccine will not give you COVID-19; the live virus is not used in any
of the COVID-19 vaccines.
- Getting vaccinated can help prevent you from getting sick with COVID-19.
- Exposure to someone sick with COVID-19 is not a protective measure against
getting COVID-19 and is not the same as receiving the COVID-19 vaccine.
- The vaccine is more than 90% effective.
- The vaccines do not contain DNA, and it will not change your DNA. The vaccines
use synthetic RNA or mRNA which “teach” our immune system
how to recognize and fight the virus, but RNA doesn’t do anything
to human DNA.
- The vaccine does not contain human tissue or fetus tissue. There are no
fetal cells used in any vaccine production process in the U.S.
More details and facts about the COVID-19 vaccine can be found on the CDC website
here
Learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine
here
Together, we’ll continue to keep the Bitterroot Valley healthy and strong.