Vaccine hesitancy slowing down Idaho’s race against COVID-19

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) - Fewer people are lining up to get a needle in their arm as Idahoans feel uncertain about getting a new vaccine.

More than 540,000 people in Idaho are fully vaccinated, making up about 38.5% of the state’s 16 and older population but only 29% of the entire state population.

But the Gem State still isn't keeping up with the rest of the country. Idaho ranks 44th in the nation for COVID-19 vaccination rates, according to the Becker Hospital Review, which is tracking vaccination rates by total state population.

And now our pace is slowing down.

“Demand for vaccine has really dropped off and that may be because the people who really wanted it and were in line to get it have already received the vaccine," said Maggie Mann, the district director for Southeastern Idaho Public Health.

Idaho health officials’ goal is to vaccinate 80% of the entire population by September, a lofty target for a state who has the fourth-highest rate of vaccine-hesitant residents in the country, according to the Department of Health and Humans Services.

“For most people, they have concerns about vaccine safety. They feel like the process maybe was rushed. We are confident the FDA, the CDC... they would not be approving that vaccine for use if it was not safe and effective," Mann said.

The most vulnerable populations are leading the charge for vaccines, with nearly 74% of the state’s 65 and older population completely vaccinated. But the Eastern and Southeastern public health districts are behind the state average, with only 68.9% of that population completely vaccinated.

Despite the slow pace, the vaccines are doing their job. In April, 77 Idahoans died from COVID-19 complications, down from 247 in January, according to data from the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare. Hospitalization rates were cut in half during the same time period, when the vaccine rollout was getting going. Now, all 16 counties in the two eastern districts are in the minimal risk categories, meaning there are fewer than 15 active cases per 10,000 people.

But health officials worry that's not enough. While people wait to get vaccinated, the virus is mutating and trying to outsmart us.

“Our concern is there is the potential, if that continues to happen, we might end up with a variant that is even more serious than the one we’ve been dealing with for the past 14 months," Mann said.

Idaho's vaccine pace could pick up soon, since the FDA authorized the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for children 12 to 15 years old on Monday. But parents may still be hesitant. A report from NPR found 25% of parents are strongly resistant to vaccinating their children.

Dr. Matthew Stelzer, a pediatrician at the Pocatello Children's Clinic, said he feels confident recommending the vaccine to his patients, but he understands that some parents may want to wait until they're ready.

“The initial study was over 1000 children [12-15 years old] being given the vaccine to see how well it works for them. But eventually it will be much more and I think if parents are really reluctant they can wait a bit. But it doesn’t take very long. We’ve now given 100s of millions of doses in this country... It doesn’t take very long before we figure out how well its working," Stelzer said.

Mann encourages people to talk with their pediatrician and physician about getting a COVID-19 vaccine.

To schedule a vaccine appointment in the Southeastern Idaho Public Health District, click here. To schedule a vaccine appointment in the Eastern Idaho Public Health District, click here.