THOUSANDS
THOUSANDS OF IDAHOANS HAVE RECEIVED A COVID-19
VACCINE A FEW WEEKS
INTO THE ROLLOUT.
A QUESTION FROM MANY
THOUGH, WHEN WILL IT
BE MY TURN?
EARLIER THIS WEEK GOV.
BRAD LITTLE ANNOUNCED
THE NEXT WAVE OF
IDAHOANS ELIGIBLE TO
RECEIVE WILL NOW
INCLUDE EVERYONE AGED
65 AND OLDER
THAT WAVE IS SET TO
ROLL IN IN FEBRUARY.
THAT NEWS THOUGH
RAISED QUESTIONS LIKE
THIS ONE...
"BRIAN, HOW RIGHT IS IT
THAT MY 93 YO DAD IS
STILL WAITING ON THE
VACCINATION AND ITS
NOW OPEN TO A NEW
GROUP?? KREG."
KAYE SAID "WE ARE NOW
ELIGIBLE FOR A VACCINE,
WASHINGTON COUNTY
DOESN'T HAVE ANY AND
DOESN'T KNOW WHEN
THEY WILL RECEIVE IT.
SEEMS WE NEED TO
IMPROVE DISTRIBUTION."
SO, IS THIS A SUPPLY AND
DEMAND
DEMAND CHALLENGE IDAHO IS FACING? OR IS IT SOMETHING WITH
THE ACTUAL
DISTRIBUTION ACROSS
THE STATE?
FOR INSIGHT ON THE
FIRST FEW WEEKS OF
VACCINE ROLL OUT, OUR
JOE PARRIS SPOKE WITH
THE, CHAIR OF GOV. BRAD
LITTLE'S COVID-19
VACCINE ADVISORY
COMMITTEE.
"WE ARE DOING PRETTY
WELL. I THINK WE HAD A
LITTLE BIT OF A SLOW
START BUT NOT
UNEXPECTED."
DR. PATRICE BURGESS IS
THE
THE CHAIR
THE CHAIR OF GOV. BRAD LITTLE'S COVID-19
LITTLE'S COVID-19
VACCINE
VACCINE ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND EXECUTIVE MEDICAL
DIRECTOR FOR SAINT
ALPHONSUS HEALTH
SYSTEM. SHE SAYS
ROLLING OUT THE COVID
VACCINE HAS EXTRA
COORDINATION
CONSIDERATIONS WHICH
CONTRIBUTES TO THE
PACE OF DISTRIBUTION.
"WE HAVE TO HAVE
PEOPLE SIX FEET APART,
WE HAVE TO SCHEDULE
THEM THAT WAY. WE HAVE
TO HAVE AN
OBSERVATION AREA
WHERE WE CAN OBSERVE
THEM FOR AT LEAST 15
MINUTES AND THAT HAS
TO BE SIX FEET APART. WE
HAVE TO HAVE MEDICAL
PEOPLE
PEOPLE TO
PEOPLE TO WATCH AND MAKE THAT IF ANYONE HAS A REACTION THAT WE
ARE ABLE TO TAKE CARE
OF THEM. SO THAT FIRST
WEEK OR TWO WAS
REALLY A LOT ABOUT THE
LOGISTICS FOR
EVERYBODY TO GET
SETUP."
IDAHO REPORTS
RECEIVING MORE THAN
100,000 DOSES OF
VACCINE AND JUST UNDER
43,000 DOSES
ADMINISTERED. THAT
INCLUDES BOTH FIRST
DOSES AS WELL AS
SECOND DOSES FOR
SOME.
GOVERNOR BRAD LITTLE
SAYS IDAHO IS GETTING
VACCINE SHIPMENTS SENT
RIGHT OUT THE DOOR. IN
AN INTERVIEW FOR KTVB'S
VIEWPOINT PROGRAM,
LITTLE DID CLARIFY
THOUGH WHY THE
AMOUNT OF DOSES GIVEN
COMPARED TO THE
AMOUNT
AMOUNT IDAHO HAS RECEIVED APPEARS TO
HAVE
HAVE A
HAVE A GAP. IT COMES DOWN TO COORDINATION
EFFORTS
EFFORTS FOR LONG TERM CARE FACILITIES AS A PART OF PHASE ONE.
"THE PHARMACIES ARE
DOING THE LONG TERM
CARE AND THEY ARE
DOING LONG TERM CARE
FACILITY "A" ONE DAY AND
"B" THE NEXT. WELL,
THEY'VE GOT TO HAVE "B"
AND "C" VACCINE
AVAILABLE WHEN THEY GO
THERE SO THAT'S WHY
THERE IS A GAP IN THE
TIME THE VACCINE
ARRIVES IN IDAHO BEFORE
IT GETS IN ARMS. YOU
HAVE TO SCHEDULE ALL
THESE VACCINATION
APPOINTMENTS." LITTLE
TO GET THAT
PARTNERSHIP WITH LONG
TERM CARE FACILITIES
STARTED, DR. BURGESS
SAYS IDAHO NEEDED A
CERTAIN AMOUNT OF
VACCINE BEFORE THEY
CAN BEGIN.
"JUST THE BEGINNING OF
THIS
THIS WEEK
THIS WEEK THE LONG TERM CARE FACILITY VACCINATIONS STARTED,
THAT'S THROUGH A
PARTNERSHIP WITH A
COUPLE OF PHARMACIES
AND THAT HAD TO GET
GEARED UP AS WELL.
ONCE WE GET THAT
GOING YOU WILL SEE
LARGE NUMBERS OF
VACCINES BEING
ADMINISTERED IN THE
LONG TERM CARE
FACILITIES."
DR. BURGESS SAYS THE
EARLY WEEKS WERE A
LEARNING PROCESS AFTER
DOING THE WORK TO
PREPARE AHEAD OF TIME.
"YOU NEVER REALLY
KNOW
KNOW UNTIL YOU START WORKING ON IT HOW IT'S GOING TO BE. SO WE
EXPECTED SOME OF IT BUT
I THINK WHEN WE REALLY
GOT GOING WE REALIZED
THERE WERE SOME MORE
COMPLEXITIES THAN SAY
THE FLU VACCINE. WITH
THE FLU VACCINE WE JUST
HAVE A BUNCH OF PEOPLE
LINE UP AND WE GIVE
THEM A FLU VACCINE AND
OFF THEY GO. THIS IS
MUCH DIFFERENT, WE
CAN'T HAVE PEOPLE IN
CROWDS WE HAVE TO
WATCH THEM FOR 15
MINUTES AFTER. SO, SOME
OF IT WE JUST DIDN'T
QUITE ANTICIPATE HOW
MUCH
MUCH IT
MUCH IT WOULD TAKE TO SET THAT UP." THERE IS HOPE THAT
ANOTHER VACCINE COULD
BE AVAILABLE SOON
WHICH WOULD INCREASE
THE SUPPLY. FOR NOW
THOUGH IDAHO IS
EXPECTING TO GET ABOUT
20,000 DOSES A WEEK.
IDAHO IS EXPECTING TO
EXPAND VACCINE
ELIGIBILITY TO ANOTHER
500,000 IDAHOANS IN
FEBRUARY, CREATING A
CHALLENGE OF SUPPLY
AND DEMAND.
DR. BURGESS EXPLAINS
WHAT THAT BALANCE
WILL LOOK LIKE.
"WE WILL SCHEDULE
PEOPLE WITH WHAT
SUPPLY WE HAVE AND
THEN WE WILL JUST HAVE
TO HAVE PEOPLE HOLD
OFF UNTIL WE GET THE
NEXT SUPPLY AND THEN
WE WILL SCHEDULE SOME
MORE. SO IT WILL BE AN
ONGOING PROCESS AS WE
BALANCE OUT THE SUPPLY
AND DEMAND."
AND DEMAND."
AS
AS MORE
AS MORE AND MORE PEOPLE BECOME ELIGIBLE, HOW ARE THEY SUPPOSED
TO SCHEDULE?
TO SCHEDULE?