KOOTENAI COUNTY, Idaho — Grocery store workers and other frontline personnel are now among those who are eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine in North Idaho.
Effective immediately, those in subgroup 2.3 of Idaho's vaccine distribution plan can schedule appointments in North Idaho, Panhandle Health District announced on Wednesday. Don Duffy, PHD clinical services administrator, said in a press release that this comes amid a "considerable slowdown of appointments being scheduled by the currently eligible groups."
Those in Group 2.3 will be eligible to receive the vaccine statewide on March 15, the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare announced on Wednesday. Katherine Hoyer with PHD clarified that the state is allowing health districts to move forward in the vaccine phase "if they feel that's necessary."
"It's one of our goals to not have any wastage of the vaccine, so that's another reason why we need to move forward with a phase," Hoyer said during an interview with KREM on Thursday.
Here are those in subgroup 2.3 who are eligible to receive the vaccine:
- Food and agricultural workers
- Food processing workers, including USDA processing plant inspectors
- Grocery, convenience store and food pantry workers
- Manufacturing workers
- Public transit workers
- U.S. Postal Services workers
- Flight crews
- Subset of essential gas, electric, water, and telecommunications utility workers who work indoors
- Idaho National Guard (if not included in previous subgroups)
- Residents of homeless shelters
- Interpreters (ASL or other language)
- Janitorial and cleaning staff who work within any of these sectors or settings
General public ages 16 and older could be eligible by May
If supply continues the way it is right now, North Idaho residents ages 16 to 64 with high-risk medical conditions could be eligible for the vaccine as early as late April, Hoyer said. It's also possible that the region could move into vaccinating members of the general public ages 16 and older in late May, she added.
"We're working through our supply as quickly as we receive it, so we're really hopeful that we can continue on this path," Hoyer said.
How to schedule an appointment
Those who are eligible to receive the vaccine can schedule an appointment online through PHD's website. Those without internet access or anyone experiencing difficulty navigating can call PHD's COVID-19 hotline at 877-415-5225 for assistance.
PHD has vaccine clinics in Kootenai, Benewah, Boundary and Shoshone counties. A vaccine clinic will also open in Bonner County later in March. Appointments for PHD clinics will be released every Wednesday at 9 a.m.
Those who register for an appointment should first confirm that they are eligible, and are required to bring their driver's license and/or proof of employment if applicable.
The vaccination clinics are in addition to multiple enrolled vaccine provider clinics happening throughout North Idaho.
Hoyer also confirmed on Thursday that 2,400 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine had arrived in North Idaho. She said PHD has not received word about how many doses its weekly shipments will contain but the district is not expecting another shipment within the next two weeks.
"When we know of a shipment that's arriving, we'll communication that with all the enrolled providers in our area and they just put in a request for how much of that shipment they would like to receive," Hoyer said.
PHD has already received a few requests from providers for shipments of the J&J vaccine, which will be going out on Monday, Hoyer said.
"The rest of our enrolled providers are welcome to put in requests for Johnson & Johnson as long as we have supply, and then we'll contribute to distribute the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines to our enrolled providers as well," Hoyer said.