COVID-19 Q&A: Vaccine administered vs. distributed, new online resource, new vaccines, and getting vaccinated after COVID

On By idhwmediaIn Public Health1 Comment

Q: Where are the COVID-19 vaccine doses Idaho has received but not administered?

A: Vaccine doses are sent directly from the manufacturers to the providers, based on orders they receive from the Department of Health and Welfare (DHW). DHW places orders for the vaccine as soon as they are available based on discussions with the local public health districts. The local public health districts are in contact with vaccine providers in their counties. DHW is not storing any doses or holding any doses back.

If doses that have already been administered are not showing up in Idaho’s Immunization Reminder Information System (IRIS), it could be because there is a slight data lag (providers have 72 hours to submit data about administration of each dose), or because providers have not administered them yet. Staff are also troubleshooting some technical issues we have discovered with IRIS and other data vendors that have caused some data for doses administered to not show up in IRIS. We have hired additional staff to help find those corrupt files and fix them so they show up in IRIS.

Q: Where can I find information to schedule an appointment for get a vaccine?  

A: Idaho launched a new COVID-19 vaccination information web page on Friday to help Idahoans more easily find information on when and where to get vaccinated and what to expect when they get to their appointment. The new web page is https://healthandwelfare.idaho.gov/covid-19-vaccination. It’s also available by link at coronavirus.idaho.gov.

Local public health districts are responsible for implementing vaccination plans. Enrolled COVID-19 vaccine provider information is available on each public health district website, but the new state web page offers just one place where all Idahoans can find out when they are eligible to receive the vaccine and where to access enrolled COVID-19 vaccine provider organizations in their area.

The state web page also tells Idahoans which priority groups, by occupation and age, are next in line for the vaccine. It will be updated on a regular basis.

Continue reading “COVID-19 Q&A: Vaccine administered vs. distributed, new online resource, new vaccines, and getting vaccinated after COVID” →

From DHW Director Dave Jeppesen: We’re advancing telehealth for Idahoans

On By idhwmediaIn Director Updates2 Comments
  • 32,059%: Increase in telehealth behavioral health visits between March and July 2020, compared to March – July 2019
  • 12,681%: Increase in telehealth medical visits between March and July 2020, compared to March – July 2019

As Idahoans, we share a sense of pride that we live in such a beautiful state with rich and varied recreational, professional, and cultural opportunities. However, being a large mostly rural state not only brings many great benefits, it also brings a few challenges.

One challenge we face is access to affordable, quality healthcare. Idaho’s rapid population growth in urban areas, a shortage of healthcare professionals, and the difficulty of access to frontier areas create widespread barriers to healthcare access. To address these challenges, the Department of Health and Welfare (DHW) and our partners formed a Telehealth Task Force. The Task Force successfully developed recommendations to advance telehealth in Idaho, to ensure that Idahoans have convenient access to quality care, no matter where they live. These findings and recommendations are part of an effort to develop a more coordinated, broad approach to telehealth adoption.

Continue reading “From DHW Director Dave Jeppesen: We’re advancing telehealth for Idahoans” →

COVID-19 Q&A: Scheduling an appointment for vaccine and what to expect

On By idhwmediaIn Public Health8 Comments

Q: How can I schedule an appointment to get a vaccine?

A: Idahoans who are prioritized for vaccine right now include healthcare workers, residents and staff in long-term care facilities, first responders (including law enforcement officers and dispatchers), pre-K–12th grade teachers and staff, childcare staff, correctional and detention facility staff, behavioral health workers, and clergy who enter healthcare facilities to provide religious support to patients.

You can see an estimated timeline at coronavirus.idaho.gov.

The local public health districts are managing vaccine administration at the local level, and at this point, vaccine administration has been scheduled and coordinated with the employers of those included in the current priority groups.

We expect to be able to start vaccinating those who are 65 and older starting Feb. 1. The local public health districts are establishing systems to help individuals identify vaccine clinics where they can schedule an appointment.

We have discussed in public how we have explored the functionality of a tool called PrepMod. However, we found it to be redundant with what is happening locally. So instead of this tool, we are enhancing our website to point to the local public health district websites and call centers where individuals can get find and schedule appointments for the vaccine clinics in their area. More to come on that soon. PrepMod remains an important scheduling and management tool for many vaccine providers across the state.

Contact your local public health district if you have questions, but please know that they may not have all the answers just yet. We’re working together to get you those answers as quickly as possible.

Continue reading “COVID-19 Q&A: Scheduling an appointment for vaccine and what to expect” →

An update from DHW Director Dave Jeppesen: New grants available to COVID-19 vaccine provider organizations; Busting myths about vaccines

On By idhwmediaIn Director UpdatesLeave a comment

Gov. Brad Little announced on Tuesday that new COVID-19 Vaccine Capacity, Safety, and Reporting Grants are available and can be used by enrolled vaccine provider organizations to increase staffing to administer shots, purchase needed equipment and supplies, and improve vaccine access for hard-to-reach and vulnerable populations. The amount each enrolled healthcare vaccine provider will receive is based on the number of doses they administer.

The mass vaccination of millions of people throughout the United States is unprecedented. It takes coordination of massive and disparate systems that starts with the manufacturing of the vaccine and ends with a shot in the arm. In addition, the ability of clinics, hospitals, pharmacies, and employers to ramp up to meet the demand takes the financial and logistical support of the federal and state government. In Idaho, we want to help our enrolled provider organizations hire medical staff, stand up clinics, and then schedule first and second doses for hundreds of thousands of Idahoans.

Continue reading “An update from DHW Director Dave Jeppesen: New grants available to COVID-19 vaccine provider organizations; Busting myths about vaccines” →

COVID-19 Q&A: Vaccine supply, and how to volunteer

On By idhwmediaIn Public HealthLeave a comment

Q: Will Idaho receive fewer doses of vaccine now that we know the federal supply has all been distributed and there is no reserve supply?

A: No, Idaho will see a slight increase in vaccine doses starting this week.

After an announcement the week of Jan. 11 by Health and Human Services that it would release all the COVID-19 vaccine it had held in reserve in an effort to speed up the vaccination process, many states, including Idaho, believed more vaccine would be shipped to them than they previously anticipated.

The Department of Health and Welfare, along with other states, learned on Friday that we will not see a large increase in COVID-19 vaccine doses from the previously announced release of second doses. No second doses were held back by the federal government, as expected. However, we have been notified by the federal government that states including Idaho will see a 2-5 percent increase in the number of doses we will receive each week, which amounts to about 950 extra doses each week. At this time, we are anticipating receiving 20,950 doses each week for the foreseeable future.

Along with other states, we are requesting more accurate, timely, and forward-looking estimates of doses Idaho will receive from the federal government. We are committed to being transparent as we quickly work to support enrolled provider organizations as they vaccinate as many people as possible during this rapidly evolving situation.

Q: Will people who have received their first dose still be able to get the second?

A: We expect there will be enough vaccine for Idahoans who have received their first dose to get their second dose of the vaccine. Pfizer and Moderna have assured Health and Human Services (HHS) that manufacturing of the vaccine continues with no issues.

Continue reading “COVID-19 Q&A: Vaccine supply, and how to volunteer” →

From DHW Director Dave Jeppesen: Update on the COVID-19 vaccine in Idaho

On By idhwmediaIn Director Updates5 Comments

The COVID-19 vaccine is on the minds of Idahoans, and we appreciate your questions and your feedback.

I want to let the people of Idaho know that we hear you. We read your emails and your social media messages, and we take all of your phone calls to heart. We are grateful that so many of you have chosen to take the vaccine, and that you are ready to do so. Your commitment to participating in this exciting part of the pandemic response does not go unnoticed.

We are committed to doing everything we can to get the vaccines administered as quickly and safely as possible. There was a 67 percent increase in the number of doses administered the week of Jan. 4, and we expect the number of doses administered each week to continue to increase. We are committed to getting all the vaccine that Idaho is allocated shipped to Idaho as soon they become available. The vaccines are sent directly from the manufacturer to those who can administer them. We are committed to doing all we can to support providers so they can do their job of administering the vaccine. And we are committed to communicating with you as openly and as often as possible. These are our promises to you and the vaccine providers in Idaho.

I want to thank Gov. Brad Little for his budget proposal that includes $250 million to finish the fight against COVID-19. We are grateful for his leadership and commitment.

Continue reading “From DHW Director Dave Jeppesen: Update on the COVID-19 vaccine in Idaho” →

COVID Q&A: Where to get a vaccine, new virus strain, and vaccine side effects

On By idhwmediaIn Public Health8 Comments

Q: How and where can I get vaccinated if I don’t have a primary care physician?

A: For people without a primary care physician, access to vaccines may be through places such as your employer, local public health agencies, federally qualified health centers, and pharmacies. As we move from vaccinating healthcare workers to offering vaccine to others, more and more healthcare providers will have vaccine. Currently over 200 healthcare providers have signed up to be able to provide COVID-19 vaccine.

Q: What do we know about the new strain of the virus that causes COVID-19 and is it in Idaho?

A: We are aware that the new variant of the virus that causes COVID-19 has been reported in the U.S. Idaho Public Health officials and testing laboratories are watching for the variant virus, but we have not detected it yet. Nonetheless, we think it’s probably here, as it is in some nearby states.

The Idaho public health laboratory is participating in a national Strain Surveillance project and is routinely sending COVID positive samples to CDC for sequencing to monitor for new variants. In addition, our public health laboratory also has the capacity to perform gene sequencing of the virus and will be bringing on that capability as soon as possible this year, to provide additional monitoring for mutations in the SARS-CoV-2 genome in Idaho.

At this point, our work to vaccinate healthcare workers and residents and staff in long-term care facilities continues. The expectation of experts is that based on the mutations, the currently available vaccines should still be very effective against this strain.

Continue reading “COVID Q&A: Where to get a vaccine, new virus strain, and vaccine side effects” →

From DHW Director Dave Jeppesen: DHW is committed to full transparency on the COVID-19 vaccine

On By idhwmediaIn Director UpdatesLeave a comment

When it comes to COVID-19 in Idaho, DHW is focused on vaccine delivery and administration and making sure we share everything we know with you. As part of our commitment, we have developed a COVID-19 vaccine page on the coronavirus website, which is updated daily. On the site and page, you can find:

As part of Idaho’s commitment to transparency, DHW is now hosting vaccine media briefings every Tuesday at 2:30 p.m. Everyone is welcome to listen in and/or watch the briefing, while the media representatives have the opportunity to ask questions. The log-in information is available each Monday on the coronavirus website.

Continue reading “From DHW Director Dave Jeppesen: DHW is committed to full transparency on the COVID-19 vaccine” →

COVID Q&A: Vaccine distribution and administration in Idaho

On By idhwmediaIn Public Health2 Comments

Coming up at 10 a.m. Wednesday: FB Live with Sarah Leeds. Send your vaccine distribution questions ahead of time to Communications@dhw.idaho.gov or watch live on Wednesday and type your vaccine distribution questions in the comments. We will answer as many on-topic questions as we can, and we’ll consider off-topic questions for future FB Live events. Join us!

Q: How can I get a COVID-19 vaccine?

A: COVID-19 vaccination in Idaho is occurring in phases. Healthcare workers are now getting vaccinated, along with residents and staff of long-term care facilities. COVID-19 vaccine for the general public is expected to be available in spring or summer. We have published an estimated timeline for when people can expect to be vaccinated. However, that timeline is likely to change depending on how many vaccines Idaho receives and how many people decide to get it.

When the vaccine is available to their priority group, Idahoans will be able to get the vaccine through normal vaccination locations such as their employer, physician’s office, local public health district, or local pharmacy. See the timeline and learn more on the vaccine page on the state’s coronavirus website.

Continue reading “COVID Q&A: Vaccine distribution and administration in Idaho” →

An Update from DHW Director Dave Jeppesen: Funding for Elmore County; Improving experiences for those we serve; and the COVID-19 vaccine arrives in Idaho

On By idhwmediaIn Director UpdatesLeave a comment

Before 2020, the end of a year would bring up good memories of times shared, reflecting on accomplishments and milestones, and making plans to celebrate the new year with family and friends. It’s probably safe to say, people may feel a little differently about 2020.

Even though this year has tried our souls in every way possible, there is light at the end of the tunnel. The COVID-19 vaccine has arrived in Idaho and healthcare workers across the state are now receiving their vaccines. Many people have questions related to the vaccine, and when they might get a vaccine. The best way to keep updated is by visiting the coronavirus.idaho.gov website. There, you can find the following:

And more … the website is robust and contains a lot of information. I encourage you to spend some time on the site when you have questions about our response to the pandemic. Odds are good we have answered your question, or we will when we have the information. We are committed to full transparency when it comes to vaccine distribution, and DHW will share information with you as soon as possible. That’s a promise.

Continue reading “An Update from DHW Director Dave Jeppesen: Funding for Elmore County; Improving experiences for those we serve; and the COVID-19 vaccine arrives in Idaho” →