Thursday, March 28, 2024
46.0°F

Idaho set to launch new COVID-19 vaccine appointment system

| March 4, 2021 4:30 PM

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — A new centralized system in Idaho will launch this month that allows residents to book coronavirus vaccine appointments, health officials said.

Some residents frustrated with the current sign up process have reached out to multiple providers and failed to cancel appointments, causing vaccine delays for others eligible under the state's priority guidelines, The Idaho Press reported Wednesday.

Idaho currently has 400 enrolled providers for COVID-19 vaccinations. The new system will require patients to provide information in one location so that providers can reach out to eligible patients when appointments are available, officials said.

The system is designed to improve communication so people no longer have to continuously check websites or call providers, health officials said.

“You can rest assured you’re on the list and someone will reach out when they have an appointment open,” Idaho Department of Health and Welfare Director Dave Jeppesen said on Tuesday.

Idaho is expected to receive 13,000 doses of the newly authorized Johnson & Johnson single-dose vaccine on Thursday, for a total vaccine allotment this week of more than 50,000 as the state's confirmed cases continue declining.

Republican Gov. Brad Little has encouraged residents to continue following safety guidelines until everyone has been vaccinated.

For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some — especially older adults and people with existing health problems — it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death.