COVID-19 vaccine clinic doubleheader hits Helena

Mar. 20—Vaccination clinics were a common sight in the Queen City on Saturday, with two-large scale operations taking place at separate locations.

Montana VA Health Care System offered 1,000 first doses of the Moderna vaccine at the National Guard Readiness Center near the Helena Regional Airport for veterans enrolled in their health care system and the Helena Indian Alliance and U.S. Indian Health Services offered 500 first doses of Moderna to teachers and child care providers at its facility on Euclid Avenue.

The Montana VA used a gymnasium-like room at the readiness center as a staging area where nearly a dozen tables were set up to administer the COVID-19 vaccine to veterans.

"It's going really well," said Christina Lundstrom, congressional liaison for the Montana VA. "This larger site makes it easier for a larger amount of veterans."

The VA joined with the Montana Army National Guard to hold the clinic at the readiness center.

On Saturday morning the state reported that 400,826 COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered so far and 155,039 of the state's nearly 1 million residents have been fully immunized against the coronavirus. There have been 29.5 million cases reported in the United States and 121,000 million doses of the vaccine have been administered. There have been 538,261 deaths nationwide, and 1,414 in Montana, attributed to COVID-19, according to reports by the state and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There have been 102,966 COVID-19 cases reported in the Treasure State.

For the first time Saturday, the Montana VA allowed veterans to get a vaccine shot without making an appointment. That was to start Saturday afternoon. VA officials said 500 had made appointments.

Lundstrom said the Saturday event was to accommodate veterans who work during the week and cannot take time off.

She said it was the first of several large clinics, with a clinic offering 800 doses to be held March 23-24 in Missoula, another on March 30-31 in Kalispell offering 1,200 doses and one offering 1,000 doses on April 10, which is a Saturday, in Great Falls.

Chad Smith, 44, a veteran, was among those who got the shot Saturday morning.

"I wanted to get this vaccine to help get rid of this pandemic so we can move on," he said, adding it was painless.

He knows there are some folks who are hesitant about getting vaccinated.

"I feel if they want to get it, they should get it," he said. "It's up to them ultimately, but I don't have a problem with it."

Laura Baus, a veteran and an educator, also got vaccinated.

"I'm a teacher," she said. "I want to keep the kids safe."

She felt the vaccine has been tested, although it was put on a fast track to fight the coronavirus.

"Too bad they couldn't have done this in 1919 with the Spanish flu."

Lori FitzGerald, chief of pharmacy at Montana VA, said none of the vaccine would go to waste and any unused doses would return to the VA.

She said they have a "burn rate" of 90% most weeks.

"We get it in and get it into people's arms," she said.

Todd Weber, domiciliary nurse manager at Fort Harrison, was among those vaccinating veterans.

He's among the staff who has flown the vaccine to some Montana areas that are several hours away from Helena, such as Havre, Kalispell and Hamilton.

"It's actually quite fun," he said. "When else would I get to ride on a Learjet or a prop plane?"

Weber said veterans receiving the shot have been quite "grateful and ready to open up as a community."

"This one of the steps we need to do," he said.

Weber said he had one veteran who got a shot because his daughter would not let him see his grandchildren until he was vaccinated.

The event across town at the Helena Indian Alliance was a drive-thru clinic.

"It's going good," said Todd Wilson, executive director, as cars lined up hauling folks waiting to get shots. There were HIA workers, and volunteers from the county, PureView Health Center and Indian Health Services.

Lewis and Clark County Public Health said educators as a group are not yet eligible for state/local allocated vaccine and the local Unified Health Command reached out to HIA and HIS to vaccinate local teachers and child care providers with 500 doses of their federally allocated Moderna vaccine.

Wilson said they were ready to administer 500 first doses, but would also set up another clinic if some vaccine was left over.

Ann Gilbert was a volunteer helping to give people a dose of the vaccine.

"It's going really well," she said. "I thought there would be more, but it's pretty steady, so that's good."

Holly Morehouse, a teacher from East Helena Public Schools, got her shot, and was parked among the other vehicles waiting to be released.

"I'm just here to make it a little safer for our schools, to open them up a little more and get back to normal a little bit," she said.

She said Saturday's clinic was quick, easy and well organized.

Assistant editor Phil Drake can be reached at 406-231-9021.

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