No COVID vaccine in Washington? No problem — Idaho removes residency requirement
Individuals will no longer need to live or work in Idaho to get a COVID-19 vaccine, state health officials announced Tuesday.
Idaho Department of Health and Welfare Director Dave Jeppesen said Idaho will remove its requirement that individuals need to live or work in Idaho to get a COVID-19 vaccine, effective immediately, as the state’s supply of vaccines has outpaced demand.
“Our main motivation is primarily to remove barriers between providers and patients in Idaho, frankly, to get vaccinated,” Jeppesen said at a news conference. “If there’s even a little barrier that says I gotta show I live here or work here, that may be enough for somebody that’s very busy to decide, ‘It’s just not worth my time right now.’ ”
Among Idaho residents, 72.3% of those 65 and older have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. That number dips to 34.7% among residents between ages 16 and 64, according to the state.
Elke Shaw-Tulloch, public health administrator at DHW, said the news about the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine causing blood clots in a handful of patients caused a drop-off in people choosing to get the vaccine in Idaho.
The state will also provide $9 million in grant funding for enrolled vaccine providers to provide COVID-19 vaccines for hard-to-reach areas of Idaho through, for example, walk-in or mobile clinics. Applications will be available through the state’s coronavirus website.
COVID-19 variants arrive in Idaho
Kathryn Turner, deputy state epidemiologist, said officials have confirmed 215 cases of COVID-19 variants among 17 counties in Idaho.
Of those, 75% were identified as the UK variant, 20% as the California variant. Two infections were identified to be the South African variant, and three were infected with the New York variant. One potential Brazil variant may have arrived in Idaho pending confirmation, Turner said.
Another variant in India has appeared in California, and state health officials are carefully watching that variant’s spread, Turner said.
Idaho reports breakthrough cases after vaccines, one death
Idaho has reported 190 cases of COVID-19 among people who had been fully vaccinated, including one death this week, Turner said.
“COVID-19 vaccines are effective, but none are 100% effective at preventing all illness,” Turner said.
The so-called breakthrough cases represent less than half a percent of people who are fully vaccinated. Over 40% reported no symptoms, Turner said, but the majority reported mild or moderate symptoms. One person with a COVID-19 breakthrough died, Turner said.
“It’s just a reminder of how bad a COVID-19 infection can be in a population,” Turner said.
This story was originally published April 27, 2021 at 3:54 PM.
CORRECTION: This article has been revised to correct the job title of Kathryn Turner, deputy state epidemiologist.
