Vaccine Clinic Planned
 | Author:
MT43 News Staff Reporter
Nancy Marks: MT43 News Secretary and News Editor |
Vaccine Clinic Planned
MT43 News Staff Reporter
Charles Alvorez, an independent living specialist with Ability Montana was in Townsend on February 8 to help connect with older adults, those with disabilities and veterans to get vaccinated against COVID-19, Influenza A and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), pneumonia and shingles. He was working with Broadwater County's local Health Department and Director Ruby Taylor.
Many people in the county believe the COVID-19 virus scare is over. That is not so. At the end of 2023, an average of 18 people in Montana were being admitted daily to hospitals due to severe COVID-19 symptoms. One death in Broadwater County this year resulted from COVID-19. In 2023, the county tracked five or six hospitalizations and at least one death, Taylor said.
Townsend has been hit especially hard with Influenza A cases with two or three hospitalizations since the first of the year, Taylor said. Those were the reported cases. “Probably the numbers are higher,” she said.
Alvorez’s position is funded through a grant from the Aging and Disability Vaccination Collaborative.
According to a release from Tannis Hargrove of the Rural Institute for Inclusive Communities, the effort is to remove common barriers preventing that population from getting vaccinated. “Ingrained socioeconomic disadvantages and other roadblocks still exist and are now widely recognized as major contributors to health disparities experienced by people with disabilities and the older population.” She said.
The services Alvorez helped to set up for Broadwater County are vaccine clinics, transportation to and from the Health Department Clinic on Cedar Street, in-home vaccinations. The program is serving 21 Western Montana counties. According to Hargrove, the institute recognizes that people with disabilities experience more severe COVID-19 cases than others. They experience more barriers to wellness generally, so our independent living specialists are prepared to have conversations with clients in the county. “It can be tough talking with consumers about why they should consider getting vaccinated. Some believe the vaccine is harmful, while others who might want to be vaccinated but don’t know where to get it, how to get it or if they can afford it,” Hargrove explained.
Alvorez and Director Taylor will be handing out an information sheet showing access to a sign language interpreter, a screen reader-accessible vaccine registration websites or wheelchair-accessible transportation. Clients should bring their insurance cards. Those without insurance can learn how to receive various vaccines paid for through other sources.
Alvorez is a combat veteran who suffered injuries and was on the streets for a time. He became involved with the Independent Living Project and received a certificate to work with the homeless at Our Place, a Helena shelter. He taught five years with the University of Montana Rural Institute. He now works for Ability Montana, a nonprofit that promotes independence for people living with disabilities and older adults.
For more information, please contact Ruby Taylor at the Department of Public Health (406) 266-5209.
