Joanna Orban
Copy Editor
As we have continued through the effects of living in a pandemic, most of our thoughts have now turned to a possible vaccination and the even more pressing question, when will that vaccination be available to me? The State of Idaho’s COVID-19 website has a section called “When and where to get your vaccination”.
Currently, Idaho is offering vaccinations to individuals who are 65 years of age or older and are continuing vaccinations for medical workers and some government employees. Also included in the list of continuing vaccinations are teachers and first responders.
Starting in early April, vaccinations will be given to grocery store workers, post office employees and employees working in public transportation. Late April will see vaccines be given to other essential workers and individuals aged 16-64 with high-risk conditions.
Beginning in May the vaccination will be open to the general public, including college students. Those who fall into the aforementioned categories can call their respective public health districts for more information regarding appointments and eligibility. Additional information can be found online at healthandwelfare.idaho.gov/covid-19-vaccination. According to the website, 166,446 doses of the vaccine have been administered statewide.
There are two versions of the COVID-19 vaccination being offered in Idaho, the Moderna vaccine and the Pfizer vaccination. According to Rex Force, Idaho State University Vice President for Health Sciences, “Both are a two-shot series that are separated by either three or four weeks.” The first dose acts as immunity and the second dose is a booster shot that provides more information to the immune system.
As new strains of COVID-19 have been found in the United Kingdom, Africa and South America there have been concerns that the vaccines will be ineffective against them. “Those strains appear to be still covered by the Moderna vaccine,” said Force. “That is still an active area of research.”
According to Force, the pharmaceutical companies who produced the vaccines are working to modify its vaccinations, similarly to how the influenza vaccines are changed each year. This likely will become the norm with the COVID-19 vaccine as well.
Another common question regarding the COVID-19 vaccine is whether or not it is still necessary to wear facial coverings after getting both doses. “When we see the development of immunity across our entire population and the virus really decreases it will be safe for us to move on from all of this disease mitigation,” said Force. Regardless of vaccination status, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) still recommends facial coverings. Face coverings can also help stop the spread of non-COVID-19 illnesses such as influenza and common colds. “It’s just a safe practice for us to continue to protect others,” said Force.
Although the risk of COVID-19 in college students isn’t as high as it is in other populations, Force still recommends that students receive the vaccination. One reason is so students don’t inadvertently pass the virus along to someone who is at high risk for the virus. “The more people we can get vaccinated in the end the better we will all be off,” said Force. “The reason to get vaccinated is to protect ourselves but also to protect the most vulnerable amongst us.” ISU nursing student, Chelsea Bond received the vaccine and said, “It was a simple process through Southeastern Idaho Public Health.” Other ISU students involved in the medical field, like Bond, have received the vaccine. “It was a smooth process, and I think it was the best decision for me. It definitely felt good to get vaccinated knowing that I am hopefully helping along with our community’s herd immunity, to protect more at-risk individuals,” said Bond.
