Approximately 80 percent of the Pocatello Fire Department’s emergency responders have seized the opportunity to get the COVID-19 vaccine as a designated priority group, Assistant Chief of Operations Ryan O’Hearn estimated.

“That is kind of our attitude. We feel it protects both us and the population we serve and our fellow employees,” O’Hearn said.

National polling suggests up to half of the American population may be skeptical about the vaccine. In Southeast Idaho, however, local public health officials say demand for the vaccine has been much stronger — at least among the high-priority populations who are being allowed to receive it first.

“Right now what we know with certainty is demand is significantly higher than supply,” said Maggie Mann, Southeastern Idaho Public Health director.

Idaho teachers have also been granted priority for the vaccine. Mary Anne McGrory, president of the Pocatello Education Association, said about 55 percent of Pocatello-Chubbuck School District 25 employees got the vaccine through clinics organized by the district. She also knows of many additional teachers who scheduled their own appointments with medical providers, such as Health West and a number of pharmacies.

“I haven’t heard anybody say they weren’t going to get it for any other reason than having COVID so recently their doctors said they should wait,” McGrory said.

Maag Prescription Center & Medical Supply, 333 W. Center St. in Pocatello, has also been busy administering vaccines. Maag officials said they’re scheduled to administer 400 vaccines throughout the work week ending Friday.

Greg Maag, owner of the pharmacy, said a high percentage of teachers, health care workers and people who are at least 65 years old have been getting the vaccine. Maag said many people who have brought in elderly parents to receive the vaccine and provide critical assistance to them have also been pleasantly surprised to learn that they may qualify for the vaccine as care providers.

“We are using our vaccine and I would say that as of the end of the first week of February, almost universally long-term care facilities and staff have completed vaccinations,” Maag said.

Maag is optimistic that at least 60 percent of the region’s population will be vaccinated by this fall.

“We’ve seen no evidence that people are not interested in being vaccinated,” Maag said. “As we get to the general population, we still anticipate a substantial percentage is going to want the vaccine. There may be more people who are hesitant at that point.”

Maag is hopeful that any concerns will be allayed as more people see their friends and neighbors get vaccinated without any significant side effects.

“You have to meet people where they’re at and acknowledge when they have concerns about things like vaccine safety,” Maag said. “We need to do our best to provide the most current factual information we have.”

Not all local vaccine priority groups are yet sold on the vaccine’s efficacy. Bannock County Sheriff Tony Manu estimates nearly 70 percent of his staff chose against getting vaccinated. He, personally, was on the fence about the vaccine and made a last-minute decision to get it. He’ll get his second COVID-19 shot on Friday.

“I just think it’s the unknowns of the long-term effects and how fast the vaccine came out,” Manu said. “Social media portrays a lot of information. Whether it’s right or wrong, I think that influences a lot of things.”

Among the state’s general population, a narrow majority of Idahoans indicated they would get the vaccine in the recently publicized Sixth Annual Public Policy Survey published by Boise State University. The survey, conducted Nov. 29 through Dec. 3, found 38 percent of respondents said they won’t get the vaccine, with 45 percent of them voicing concerns about side effects, 27 percent believing it to be unnecessary and 23 percent wishing to learn more about its effectiveness.

State and regional COVID-19 cases have generally been declining.

Mann said local numbers in the Southeastern Idaho Public Health District are down significantly from the high point of October through early January. Nonetheless, she said there’s been a slight uptick in recent illnesses. Mann said the district had hit a low point of having 10 people from the eight-county area in hospital care and was back up to 18 people in hospital care as of Wednesday morning.

Also on Wednesday, the region reported 60 new COVID-19 cases, including 44 new Bannock County cases and 13 new Bingham County cases. On Thursday, new cases in the region decreased to 16.

Mann believes the country should get a big helping hand toward getting more people immunized soon, once a third vaccine — developed by Johnson & Johnson — is granted approval.

“We’re really looking in May or June for our (vaccine) supply to increase significantly,” Mann said.

Mann is encouraged by the current COVID-19 transmission trend but warns circumstances can change quickly, and people should continue wearing face coverings, sanitizing their hands and taking other precautions.

She also noted new variants have surfaced in Idaho. A South African variant was recently confirmed in the Caldwell area. The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare also confirmed Wednesday the first known case of an Idaho person with the United Kingdom variant, involving an Ada County resident who recently traveled out of the state.

According to the Associated Press, both variants and a new California variant have also been identified in wastewater from several cities in the Boise area recently.

Several local entities and organizations have started making plans to resume hosting public gatherings and activities, with coronavirus safeguards in place. Portneuf Medical Center updated its visitation policy on Feb. 17 allowing patients to designate a single visitor for the duration of their stay. Two visitors are allowed for patients in pediatrics, the neonatal intensive care unit, the emergency department and labor and deliver/the Women’s Center. Special guidelines remain in place, such as requiring visitors to wear surgical masks while in the hospital.

Several concerts are being scheduled at the Portneuf Health Trust Amphitheatre.

Pocatello-Chubbuck School District 25 is scheduled to resume a full in-person class schedule for middle school and high school students who have been on a hybrid schedule with alternating days of remote and in-person classes.

Furthermore, Idaho State University recently announced it will host an in-person commencement ceremony for graduates on April 24. Each graduate will receive a limited number of tickets for guests at Holt Arena, and the ceremony will also be live-streamed.