STORY AND PHOTO BY KAREN BOSSICK
The announcement Friday night that St. Luke’s Wood River had scheduled yet another COVID vaccination clinic (see below) was greeted enthusiastically by some of those in the Wood River Valley as sign that Idaho's vaccine rollout is beginning to ramp up.
The new clinic, scheduled from 5 to 8 p.m. Monday, Jan. 18, was the fifth that St. Luke’s has scheduled over a week’s time for teachers, first responders, dentists, pharmacists and others who have been cleared by the state to begin getting vaccines.
Last week Gov. Brad Little told reporters that Idaho is administering the vaccine faster than the national average. But is that really true?
According to the Centers for Disease Control, 39 percent of the doses that have been distributed throughout the nation and in places like the Northern Mariana Islands and American Samoa have been used, and 3.2 percent of the U.S. population received at least one shot.
Only 2.1 percent of the Idaho population had gotten shots in their arms by Friday, and the state had used just 29 percent of the doses it has received.
In contrast, North Dakota has used 68 percent of its doses and West Virginia, 65 percent.
The Northern Mariana Islands have vaccinated 7 percent of the population; American Samoa, 6.4 percent; West Virginia, 6.3 percent; Palau, 6.2 percent; Alaska, 5.4 percent, South and North Dakota, 5.1 percent; Connecticut, 4.7 percent, and Vermont and Washington, D.C., 4.5 percent.
The only states that have vaccinated a smaller percentage of people than Idaho are South Carolina with 2 percent, Georgia with 1.9 percent and Alabama with 1.8 percent.
Georgia and Alabama have used only 23 percent of the doses they’ve received.
South Dakota attributes its success to robust planning in August with conversations continuing on a daily basis, according to the New York Times. Colorado requires vaccine providers to administer the doses they’ve received within 72 hours or the state will move the unused doses elsewhere.
And West Virginia has partnered with all the pharmacies in West Virginia, not just CVS and Walgreen’s. The state also moved earlier than many states to vaccinate those 65 and older early in a program called Operation S.O.W.: Save Our Wisdom.
The federal government said it has delivered 31.2 million doses to states, territories and federal agencies by Friday. Only 10.6 million people have received one dose and 1.6 million of those have been fully vaccinated.
St. Luke’s clinic on Monday, Jan. 18, in case you missed it in Saturday’s Eye on sun Valley, runs from 5 to 8 p.m. Check https://coronavirus.idaho.gov/covid-19-vaccine/ to see if you’re among the groups that qualify.
St. Luke’s patients can schedule appointments online using myChart. Those who have not used St. Luke’s services may set up an account by calling 208-381-9000. Those who cannot use myChart because of language or other barriers may call St. Luke’s Connect at 208-381-9500 to set up an appointment.
Individuals who want to be vaccinated and are among those groups currently being vaccinated but have been unable to get an appointment are encouraged to periodically check myChart for additional availability. St. Luke’s is working to increase access based on demand and supply.
“We are always working to add access,” said Joy Prudek, public information officer for St. Luke’s Wood River. “In fact, when the current clinics we had set up filled quickly, the team was able to add appointments to those days and added Tuesday and Thursday clinics for the following week. It’s very fluid as everyone works through logistics and tries to add access.”
THE LATEST FIGURES
Idaho reported 806 new cases of coronavirus on Saturday for a total of 155,276 since March. Two new deaths were reported on a day when not all health districts reported for 1,605 deaths.
Blaine County reported 16 more cases of coronavirus for a total of 1,716. Health authorities believe many more cases have gone unreported since March, however, due to lack of testing.