Idaho re-allocates unused virus shots, looks to raise equity in vaccine rollout

Luck of the draw will now decide when eastern Idaho seniors can get COVID-19 vaccines through the health district. Eastern Idaho Public Health Director Geri Rackow told area journalists Wednesday morning that the health district will be letting seniors sign up through a lottery process. It’s a stark change from what Rackow called “chaos” amid a “mad rush” to schedule vaccine shots Saturday morning, when 2,000 shot appointments filled up within 20 minutes after becoming available.

Seniors complained about getting busy signals when they called the health district throughout the day. The process created confusion among people signing up online when appointments quickly disappeared. Rackow apologized for the rush that “quickly overwhelmed” the health district’s online appointment signup system.

“We had significant problems with the app that is used for the online scheduling that created enormous confusion, anxiety and distress for people that were trying to use that,” Rackow said. “… For that we sincerely apologize. We never intended it to be a mad rush for appointments.

” Seniors and other residents of the health district who are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine can sign up for the waitlist now. Some people may already be on the list. The health district will begin running the lottery Feb. 11. At that point the health district will randomize the list of registered people and slot them into appointments in their county of residence. To sign up for vaccinations at other providers, see the health district’s list of all vaccine providers in the eight-county area with contact info and instructions. Times for the health district’s vaccinations will begin Feb. 15 and stretch until everyone on the waitlist has an appointment, which Rackow said could take until the end of March. The health district will contact those on the waitlist by phone call or text to let them know the time and location for their vaccine. You can choose either text or call notification when you sign up for the waitlist.

EIPH has set up a dedicated phone number to handle vaccine registrations at 208-533-3223. You can also register online at the eiph.idaho.gov page for vaccine scheduling. If you’re already on the list, you’ll get a call or text Wednesday, Feb. 3 to confirm your registration. Text and call notifications for appointment times will come from 208-533-3223.

To cancel appointments via text and be removed from the waiting list, reply “NO.” People who register for the waitlist after 8 a.m. Feb. 11 should “expect a call or text … between Feb. 22-26,” according to a document that outlines the new lottery system. Rackow expected the health district to receive 2,500 vaccine doses next week. The state receives about 25,000 first-doses each week, with the same amount of secondary doses reserved to come a few weeks later. A small number of exemptions will be made to let people choose their vaccination time. Married couples will be able to receive vaccines at the same time. People who have COVID-19 at the time of their appointment or have other extenuating circumstances can reschedule by calling the health district. Minnesota uses a similar lottery system for senior shot sign-ups, according to the Star Tribune.

State re-allocates unused virus shots, looks to raise ‘equity’ in vaccine rollout

Idaho’s top health leaders said Tuesday that the state knows the status of 101,000 unused COVID-19 vaccine doses, and that vaccine planners are arranging plans to shuffle vials around when providers don’t use them.

The state is pulling a total of 12,600 doses from CVS to redistribute to other vaccine providers Wednesday, state health Director Dave Jeppesen said. He said the state is also working with Walgreens to reallocate more unused doses.

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