IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 13, 2021
Indian Health Service and Shoshone-Bannock Health Programs’ Joint Effort in Administering COVID-19 Vaccine
Fort Hall- The hope is that the ongoing vaccinations efforts in our community is the beginning of the end of this world wide pandemic. The response has been very favorable towards receiving the vaccine in hopes of protecting ourselves, our families, our community and our culture. Our local health programs are dedicated to helping everyone who wants to receive the vaccine can get it as soon as possible.
Weekly allotments of the COVID-19 vaccine, received by Fort Hall, vary depending on the number of vaccine doses that are allocated to the Portland Area Indian Health Service for distribution to the clinics. To date, 530 first, or prime, doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccines have been administered by the Fort Hall health delivery systems.
The second doses, or boost doses, are set to arrive next week and we will begin completing the series for those who received the prime dose. The boost dose is to be given 28 days following the prime dose. We will also continue to offer prime doses to individuals even while boost doses are given.
Currently, we are working through the locally approved vaccination schedule to vaccinate individuals in an orderly and systematic manner. The groups that have received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine consist of health care workers, first responders, Shoshone and Bannock speakers and essential tribal employees. We are currently vaccinating Elders age 65 and older and those with qualifying chronic disease states. The next group will be Elders age 55 and older followed by the general public age 18 and up.
We would like to thank everyone for the tremendous support in receiving the COVID-19 vaccines and for continued patience as we vaccinate our community as safely and efficiently as we can.
If you have questions or would like to schedule a vaccine, please call us at 208-238-5427 or 208-238-5435. Calls are taken Monday-Friday from 8AM to 5PM.
*stock photo of Fort Hall I.H.S in Fort Hall, Idaho.