I want to encourage you to choose to get your COVID-19 vaccine. Starting Monday, April 5, all Idahoans 16 and older are eligible to get the vaccine through enrolled vaccine providers in Idaho.

You can sign up today at covidvaccine.idaho.gov, and a vaccine provider will call you to schedule your appointment. Thanks to Idaho’s pre-registration system, you don’t have make numerous calls or visit numerous locations to get your vaccine. We will do the work for you.

Choosing to get the COVID-19 vaccine will help keep you from getting COVID-19. It protects you from very serious illness and hospitalization if you do get infected. Choosing to get vaccinated protects the people around you, especially your family members and friends who are at increased risk of getting severe illness from COVID-19. And choosing to get vaccinated is the best shot we have to keep our kids in the classroom, protect jobs, and return to normal.

The COVID-19 vaccines have been carefully evaluated and are safe and effective. On April 1, 100 COVID-19 infections had been reported among fully vaccinated people in Idaho. These infections represent less than 0.5% of the Idahoans who are now fully vaccinated.

To date, more than 298,000 Idahoans (this includes those who work in Idaho) have been fully vaccinated. This number is those people who have received both doses of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine, or a single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

If you have any questions about the COVID-19 vaccine, you can visit our FAQ page which is updated regularly.

Tuesday’s Media Briefing

If you missed the media briefing on Tuesday, you can always listen to the recordings of all of the media briefings. Starting on April 6, we will expand the focus of the briefings to anything COVID-related specific to the work we do at DHW. We hope you can join us in listen mode, or watch the recording later.

COVID-19 Long Haulers

Individuals who are referred to as “long-haulers” are those who continue to suffer debilitating effects of the disease for weeks or months after being infected with the virus. DHW now has a web page with information for long haulers. We are still learning about the health issues caused by COVID-19, and the page will be updated as we get new information.

Reaching our Idaho Hispanic Communities

A new vaccine public service announcement, featuring Dr. Hafid Mantilla, will soon begin airing on Spanish TV here in Idaho. Spanish-language vaccination reminders also will be airing on Spanish radio stations in Idaho. Additionally, there are new Spanish language materials now available within the toolkit on the coronavirus website.

Have a great Easter weekend!

It is looking like this Easter weekend is going to be a beautiful one here in Idaho. I hope you can get out and enjoy the spring weather and that you also have the opportunity to spend time with fully vaccinated family and friends. Have a safe and healthy weekend.