The following information was provided in a press release from the Gallatin City-County Health Department.

Starting April 1, 2021, Gallatin County will be following the state’s guidelines on expanding COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to anyone 16 years or older.

The health department will continue to provide dedicated access to people in Phase 1A and Phase 1B+. On March 31, 2021, thanks to the most recent upgrade in PrepMod, Gallatin City-County Health Department can now allow residents to sign up for a spot on a COVID-19 vaccine waiting list.

People in Phase 1B+ – those 60 years or older, people with certain underlying health conditions, and people of color. Find a full list of the underlying conditions here.

A link for the waiting list will go live on the GCCHD website on Wednesday, March 31 at 12:00 p.m.

When vaccine appointments are available, the health department will send an email to as many people as they have doses, based on their priority on the list. The email will have a unique link to make an appointment. Individuals will have approximately 48 hours to use this unique link after it is sent to secure an appointment in an upcoming clinic.

GCCHD will no longer be providing online open sign-ups. The new process will be used to fill all GCCHD COVID-19 vaccine appointments starting on April 1. The process will also help them prioritize clinics for Phase 1A and 1B+.

We understand there are a number of people eligible in Phase 1A and Phase 1B+ who are still waiting to get a vaccine. This new process will allow us to prioritize clinics for those at higher risk while also expanding eligibility to younger populations.

said Matt Kelley, Health Officer in Gallatin County.

The Gallatin City-County Health Department Call Center is open six days a week, Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. to answer questions about COVID-19. You can reach the Call Center by phone at 406-548-0123 or email at callcenter@readygallatin.com. The most accurate local source of information remains the GCCHD website.

LOOK: Answers to 30 common COVID-19 vaccine questions

While much is still unknown about the coronavirus and the future, what is known is that the currently available vaccines have gone through all three trial phases and are safe and effective. It will be necessary for as many Americans as possible to be vaccinated in order to finally return to some level of pre-pandemic normalcy, and hopefully these 30 answers provided here will help readers get vaccinated as soon they are able.

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