Poll Question: Will You Take the COVID-19 Vaccine?

Montana Governor Steve Bullock announced this past week that some Montanans could be taking the COVID-19 vaccine before Christmas. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has posted guidelines on its website as to who should receive the vaccine first:

1. Healthcare personnel
2. Residents of long-term care facilities

The CDC defines healthcare personnel as those who are paid and unpaid who serve in health care settings and have the probability for direct or indirect exposure to patients or infectious materials.

Next in line to receive the vaccine following healthcare and residents of long-term care facilities are:

• People at high risk for severe COVID-19 illness due to underlying medical conditions.
• People 65 years and older.

This brings us to our poll question:

Many are excited to have the vaccine available, hoping that it will keep themselves and their families from contracting the coronavirus. Others don't feel it's necessary to take a vaccine for a virus they have over a 99% chance of surviving.

How do you feel about it? Please take our poll above.

According to Healthline.com, most people already enrolled in employer-provided health care plans should get the vaccine for free. This is due in part to the CARES Act passed by Congress last spring.

Our current COVID-19 data provided by the Gallatin City-County Health Department shows we are down to 15 current hospitalizations, and the latest COVID-19 Hospital Occupancy and Capacity in Montana Report has Bozeman Deaconess with 23 available beds.

As of Sunday, December 6, 2020, Gallatin County has seen a steady drop in the 7-day average for COVID-19 positive cases since mid-November. Our current death count related to COVID-19 stands at 24, with none of the deaths attributed to those under the age of 50.