Adults 65 years and older will be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine starting Monday. Vaccine providers are beginning to accept appointments from Idahoans in this subgroup, though supply of the vaccine continues to lag behind demand.

Southeastern Idaho Public Health and area health care providers will begin scheduling appointments for people 65 years of age or older on Monday. Vaccinating that priority group is expected to take about 13 weeks.

“We are asking for patience as we deal with a vaccine supply that is not sufficient to meet our demands,” said Maggie Mann, Southeastern Idaho Public Health director said.

Mann said there are about 27,000 people who are 65 years old or older living within the health district. Mann said the district has been receiving about 800 doses of vaccine per week. Starting in the coming week, she said the district should begin to receive about 2,000 doses per week.

She said the district’s allocation could increase a little bit more in the future, but that remains to be seen.

Mann said the district is also continuing to vaccinate the initial priority groups that were made eligible for the vaccine, such as health care workers, teachers and law enforcement officers.

Mann said COVID-19 transmission has decreased significantly from its peak levels in mid-December.

“We are concerned about the new variants that seem to be coming to the U.S. from multiple places around the world,” Mann said, explaining the vaccine seems to be effective against the United Kingdom variant but might be a little less effective against new variants from South Africa and Brazil.

Central District Health Director Russ Duke said an estimated 80,000 district residents are 65 or older, but there are only 6,000 to 7,000 vaccines arriving weekly to the district, which includes Ada County.

“What we know is this is a large and motivated group of residents,” Duke said in a statement. “They are eager, and we are equally interested in seeing them gain protection from this vaccine. But we want to set realistic expectations and remind our residents who are 65 and older that this will be a multi-week process.”

In Southwest District Health’s six-county region, which includes Canyon County, an estimated 45,000 residents are 65 and older. The district is only receiving about 3,000 doses a week.

Due to the limited vaccine doses and no significant increase anticipated, the two neighboring health districts are asking vaccine providers to use a priority system to focus on those most vulnerable in the early part of serving this subgroup, a press release from the districts said. Considerations may include health conditions and age.

HOW TO GET A VACCINE

{span}SIPH has a list of vaccine providers on the website at{/span} {span}www.siphidaho.org/covid19{/span}{span}-vaccine{/span}{span}-clinics.php{/span}{span}. If you do{/span} {span}not qualify for vaccine in any of the current priority groups, you may sign up for an email update alerting you when{/span} {span}vaccine is available and how to make an appointment at{/span} {span}www.siphidaho.org{/span}{span}/coronavirus.php{/span}{span}. {/span}

If you live in Ada County, find a list of vaccine providers and instructions on making an appointment at cdh.idaho.gov/covid-vaccine or by calling 208-321-2222.

If you live in Canyon County, find that information at phd3.idaho.gov/covid19/#Vaccine or by calling 208-455-5411.

Groups that are eligible for a vaccine include:

• Health care workers
• Long-term care facility staff and residents
• Home care providers
• First responders
• Frontline essential workers including coroners, Idaho Fish and Game and USDA law enforcement officers, adult and child protective services, child welfare workers, and community food, housing and relief service workers
• Teachers and childcare providers
• Correctional and detention facility staff
• Starting Feb. 1, Idahoans age 65 and older