All Idahoans over age 16 can access COVID-19 vaccine starting April 5
BOISE, Idaho (KIFI) - UPDATE: Governor Brad Little announced his decision Wednesday to open up COVID-19 vaccine appointments to all Idahoans over age 16 starting April 5.
Starting April 5, there will be no prioritization of any group of people. All Idahoans over the age of 16, regardless of their age, medical condition or occupation will be able to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
Governor Little also announced starting March 29, any Idahoan with at least one medical condition will be able to access the COVID-19 vaccine.
“I want to thank the close to 390,000 Idahoans who have chosen to get the safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine. You have taken one of the most important steps during our pandemic fight to protect lives and get us closer to normal. Hundreds of thousands of Idahoans have received the vaccine because it is safe and it works,” Governor Little said. “If you are still unsure about the vaccine, I encourage you to talk to your doctor or healthcare provider. There are good reasons most of them did not hesitate to receive their COVID vaccine weeks ago – the COVID vaccine has been tested and it is proving to be safe and effective.”
Idahoans are encouraged to continue accessing the COVID-19 Vaccine Pre-Registration System at COVIDvaccine.idaho.gov. More than 90,000 individuals have used the tool since it went live on March 5, making life easier and resulting in tens of thousands of appointments.
Idaho still ranks above the national average for getting vaccines administered, with an 82-percent vaccine administration rate. More than 63-percent of Idaho’s 65-and-older population have been vaccinated and almost 30-percent of individuals between the ages of 55 and 64 have been vaccinated.
“Folks, with each passing week as more and more Idahoans choose to get vaccinated, we get closer to returning to normal. The COVID vaccine really is our best shot at protecting jobs and saving lives. Please choose to receive the safe and effective vaccine,” Governor Little said.
ORIGINAL: The Department of Health and Welfare has changed the date and time for this week’s media briefing about the COVID-19 vaccine in Idaho to 12:30 p.m. MDT Wednesday. The briefing was rescheduled to follow an announcement by Gov. Little at 12 p.m. regarding the COVID-19 vaccine in Idaho.
You can watch both below.
DHW Director Dave Jeppesen and Public Health Administrator Elke Shaw-Tulloch will offer brief remarks and an update on the status of the COVID-19 vaccine in Idaho and then will answer questions from the media. Sarah Leeds, manager of the Idaho Immunization Program, also will attend the briefing.
