HAVRE, Mont. - Since the first talks of a COVID-19 vaccination coming to Montana, one of the biggest concerns was getting these vaccines to rural parts of the state.Â
Now, a new pilot program could be the key to getting Montana s vets in the furthest part of the state vaccinated.Â
Montana s Department of Veteran Affairs was selected to lead a national veterans health administration pilot program. Because of the nature of the state of Montana, we re highly rural, we re also a mountain state.We were up here in less than an hour with the vaccine. It was probably still frozen when it arrived. So, it just enables VA to get vaccines in rural and highly rural areas, said Dr. Judy Hayman, the executive director for Montana VA Health Care System.Â
Successful COVID vaccination events held in Havre
Havre Daily News/Colin Thompson
A veteran receives a COVID-19 vaccination in in Holiday Village Mall. Montana Veterans Affairs was giving the first round of the COVID-19 vaccine to Hi-Line veterans Thursday.
Editor’s note: This version includes comments by U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont.
The Holiday Village Mall played host to two successful local COVID-19 vaccination clinics, one in the Former Herberger s location run by the the Merril Lundman Department of Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic, and the other in the former Famous Footwear location, run by the Hill County Health Department, Northern Montana Hospital and Bullhook Community Health Center.