MISSOULA COUNTY -
Missoula County’s Epidemiological Situation Unit provided updates on COVID-19 and vaccinations in the county during a virtual press conference Wednesday, May 26.
D’Shane Barnett, Incoming Missoula City-County Health Department (MCCHD) director and health officer, congratulated the county on having the highest vaccination rate in the state of Montana.
“I am inheriting a great department,” Barnett said. “And all of the work that has been done has led to Missoula County really leading the way in the state when it comes to COVID-19 vaccinations. I think we have a lot to be proud of here in Missoula. I think that our Health Department has been very proactive in trying to get vaccinations, make vaccines available and get that in the arms of our community members. I still want to encourage [that residents get vaccinated]. … We are not at the amount that we need to get for herd immunity. Everybody is now eligible. Vaccine appointments are readily available.”
Ethan Walker, epidemiologist at the University of Montana and the School of Public and Community Health Sciences, provided statistics related to COVID-19 cases in the area. Over the past few weeks cases in Missoula County have been at their lowest since last summer. They are now typically seeing 10 to 15 new cases or fewer per day.
He said recently they have not seen any big jumps in case numbers for any particular age group so there are currently no concerning trends.
Sarah Huntting, MCCHD Situation Unit lead, provided updates on vaccination efforts in the county. She said that 61.1% of Missoula County’s eligible population has received at least one dose equating to 53.6% of the total population. Additionally, 52.3% of Missoula County’s eligible population are fully vaccinated equating to 43.7% of the total population.
She reminded listeners that the herd immunity goal is to get 75% of the total population vaccinated or 119,600 people. They also hope to have 85% of the eligible population vaccinated, or 104,911 people. This group is composed of individuals 12 and up.
Huntting said older demographics have done a great job getting vaccinated with 86% of residents between the ages of 70 and 79 having the vaccine. Meanwhile over 82% of residents 80 years or older have received their vaccines.
On the opposite end, vaccination rates for younger demographics have remained on the lower side. The ages with the lowest rate are 12 to 19 year olds at 25.01%, but Huntting partially attributes this to the fact that 12 to 18 year olds were only recently allowed to get the vaccine. The 20 to 29 year old demographic currently sits at 43.99%.
Barnett encouraged younger populations to get the vaccine.
“They might [not be getting the vaccine] because they don’t feel like they themselves personally are at risk, but … it’s not just about protecting yourself, it’s about protecting others and protecting the health of our community,” he said.
Sophia Newcomer, University of Montana School of Public and Community Health Sciences assistant professor and Epidemiological Situation Unit contributor, said that she wanted to acknowledge and address the concerns of those who are hesitant to get vaccinated.
“In the United States, we have really high standards for vaccine safety, and we have robust systems in place for continuously monitoring and studying the safety of vaccines,” she said. “Vaccines are tested in clinical trials before they can be used in the United States. The trials of each of the three COVID-19 vaccines that are currently available, were tested in 30,000 to 40,000 participants in the U.S. And the safety data from these trials were scrutinized by multiple groups of independent experts before making the vaccines available to the public.”
She went on to say that researchers are continuing to study and monitor the safety of vaccines after they have been made publicly available.
“With half of adults in the U.S. now fully vaccinated against COVID-19, we have seen dramatic reductions in COVID-19 disease transmission, disease hospitalizations and COVID-19 related deaths,” Newcomer said. “Every shot is bringing us closer and closer to putting this pandemic behind us for good. By getting vaccinated you’re not only protecting yourself, but you’re also protecting your communities since you are contributing to the reduction in disease transmission and spread.”
For parents who are concerned about their child getting vaccinated, she recommends speaking with a medical provider they trust so they can give their recommendations based on personal health history.
More information about COVID-19 and vaccine clinics can be found on https://www.missoulainfo.com.
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