Confronting a Lag in Demand, Health Department to End Mass Vaccination Clinics

With just 36% of the local population fully vaccinated, the Flathead City-County Health Department announced it would cease offering mass immunization clinics next week, citing a steep decline in demand and acknowledging that a segment of the community remains entrenched in its resistance to the COVID-19 vaccine.

Large-scale vaccination clinics like the one offered at the Flathead County Fairgrounds are becoming obsolete across the country as demand tapers off, in many cases due to those local populations crossing the target threshold of “herd immunity.”

That’s not the case in the Flathead Valley, according to Health Officer Joe Russell, who said a mere 66,152 doses of the vaccine had been administered locally as of June 16, with 41% of county residents having received at least one dose. In the case of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, a single dose is all an individual needs to be considered fully vaccinated; however, Russell said in other instances, individuals are skipping their second doses.

“The fact is we’re only getting about 50 requests for the vaccine per week, and we can accommodate that level of demand in our health department offices or with the occasional pop-up clinic,” Russell said. “This way we can be more efficient and we can reduce the need for outside staffing to conduct these large-scale clinics.”

Others still are opting not to get vaccinated at all, either due to health concerns, skepticism, or political or religious views.

“I’ve lived in this community a long time and I’ve kind of resolved to the fact that there is a population here that just refuses to get the vaccine, and they are sticking to it,” Russell said. “I am a firm believer in the vaccine and I am going to continue to promote it as the strongest public-health measure to curb the spread of COVID-19. And I am going to continue to hope that we can get to 50%.”

In other western Montana counties, public health officials might view 50% as a failure, falling short of the recommended threshold of 65-70% needed to achieve herd immunity. But for Russell, it’s a lofty goal.

Immunization rates in Flathead County rank far below Montana’s other most populous counties, with Missoula County reporting 58% (61,048) of its population as fully immunized as of June 17, and Yellowstone County reporting 43% (58,508) as fully vaccinated. In Lewis and Clark County, 52% of eligible residents are fully vaccinated, while in neighboring Lake County 50% of the population has been counted as fully immunized.

Meanwhile, Russell pegged the daily average of new COVID-19 cases in Flathead County at 12 during the month of June, with the county reporting just 17 total “breakthrough cases” in which fully immunized individuals tested positive for COVID-19. He said most of those breakthrough cases have occurred among individuals living in long-term care facilities.

“We know that not even 50% of our long-term caregivers have taken the vaccine, and they’re providing direct care to individuals in close physical proximity, and that is primarily where we have seen these breakthrough cases,” Russell said. “Less than 60% of our health care providers are vaccinated, so it’s certainly not as high as you’d want it to be.”

Still, Russell said the relative dearth of breakthrough cases is testament to the vaccine’s efficacy.

“We’re talking 17 cases out of 36% of our population, which is 42,000 people, so that’s far less than what you’d expect even with a 95% efficacy,” he said.

Although Russell said the mass vaccination site is slated to offer its final clinic on June 22, the COVID-19 vaccine will continue to be available to individuals 12 and older, either by appointment or through walk-in availability each Tuesday at the Flathead City-County Health Department Immunization Clinic. Additionally, local pharmacies, healthcare providers, and pop-up clinics throughout the county are also administering the vaccine, Russell said.

“We are going to continue to do these pop-up clinics, including at local breweries,” Russell said. “We’re not capturing a ton of people through those, but we did one last night at Kalispell Brewing Company and did 28 vaccinations, which is 28 more people than the day before.”

Interested individuals can visit flatheadhealth.org or vaccinefinder.org to find out more information about vaccine providers in Flathead County.

“As we shift out of mass vaccination clinics, we want to extend our gratitude and appreciation for all the staff and volunteers who came together to help vaccinate our community,” Russell added. “These clinics were supported by the tireless efforts of health department staff, Logan Health staff, and many volunteers. Thank you to everyone who helped make these clinics a success.”