BILLINGS - RiverStone Health reported Friday two additional deaths due to COVID-19, pushing the county death toll during the pandemic to 431.
The deaths included an unvaccinated woman in her 50s, who died on Thursday at a Billings hospital, and an unvaccinated man in his 80s who died on Friday at a Billings hospital. Both had medical conditions that put them at higher risk of severe COVID-19 illness.
About 70% of the Montanans who have died of COVID-19 related illness had medical conditions that put them at high risk, according to an October 2021 report from the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services. The most common underlying conditions in these deaths have been circulatory disease (stroke, heart attack, heart disease and high blood pressure), diabetes, respiratory diseases, dementia, chronic kidney disease, obesity, cancer, immune-suppressing disorders and liver diseases.
On Friday, Billings hospitals had 94 COVID-19 inpatients, including 76 who weren’t vaccinated and 18 who were vaccinated. Among the hospitalized COVID-19 patients, 28 were in ICU and 18 were on ventilators.
Safe and effective COVID-19 vaccinations are readily available in Yellowstone County to everyone age five and older. Pediatric clinics, other medical clinics and many pharmacies are providing vaccinations.
Pediatric and family clinic Saturday
For the convenience of families with children, pediatric walk-in vaccination clinics have been scheduled on four Saturday mornings:
· Nov. 13, 9 a.m. – noon in Cedar Hall at MetraPark.
· Nov. 20, 9 a.m. – noon in Cedar Hall at MetraPark.
· Dec. 4, 9 a.m. – noon in Cedar Hall at MetraPark.
· Dec. 11, 9 a.m. – noon in Cedar Hall at MetraPark.
The Saturday morning clinics will offer activities for children and therapy dogs are scheduled to attend. Everyone is required to stay at least 15 minutes for observation after receiving a vaccination.
Masks are required at the walk-in vaccination clinics. Children under 18 must have signed parental consent for vaccination.
Additional free, walk-in COVID-19 vaccination clinics for children and adults will be held at Cedar Hall next week:
· Tuesday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
· Thursday 4 to 6:30 p.m.
All walk-in clinics will offer all three of the U.S. approved vaccines. Pfizer vaccine will be offered in the approved lower doses for children ages 5-11 and in the doses for people age 12 and older. First, second and booster doses are available as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
First, second and booster doses of Moderna vaccine are available to people 18 and older. The single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine will be available to people 18 and older, including for a booster dose.