GREAT FALLS — The Montana VA Health Care System (MTVAHCS) will host a COVID vaccination clinic in Lewistown on Wednesday, February 24th. The agency will bring 200 Moderna first doses to veterans in area from the Fort Harrison Medical VA Center’s temperature-controlled freezers.
The February 24th clinic will be held at the Fergus County Fairgrounds and staff from several MTVAHCS sites will be coming to help veterans receive vaccines. All veterans who receive their first dose of the Moderna vaccine at Wednesday's event will be scheduled to receive their second dose approximately four weeks later.
“These vaccines save lives, and we are grateful to be able to get these doses to rural Veterans as soon as possible,” said Judy Hayman, MTVAHCS director, in a news release. “We serve 47,000 Montana veterans in the fourth largest state in the country. Our teams are excited to fly 200 vaccines to Lewistown area veterans and help veterans and their communities become safer from the pandemic.”
By the time Lewistown-area veterans receive their vaccinations, MTVAHCS will have provided first doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to more than 5,500 Montana veterans (about 11% of all enrolled Montana Veterans). Vaccines have been provided by MTVAHCS in 10 locations and at 29 vaccine clinics since late December.
As vaccine doses become available, MTVAHCS will continue conducting vaccination events around the state and will do so until all enrolled veterans who want to receive a COVID-19 vaccine are immunized.
Enrolled veterans do not need to contact MTVAHCS or their local clinic to make a vaccine appointment. All eligible veterans will be contacted based on risk stratifications and vaccine allocations, MTVAHCS staff will call each veteran to schedule an appointment. High-risk veterans will be called first to schedule vaccine appointments. High-risk veterans are identified as persons 75 years or older and any veteran who has a medical condition that may put them at increased risk based on CDC risk criteria and VHA guidance.
If a Montana veteran is not enrolled in VHA healthcare, they are encouraged to call 877-468-8387 and select Option 4 to find out if they are eligible. Unenrolled veterans are encouraged to call as soon as possible.