GREAT FALLS, Mont. - A major vaccine site in Cascade County will be closing soon. Eligible people have been able to get their vaccine at the Fairgrounds since the middle of January. Now, the City/County Health Department has announced this mass-vaccine site will be shutting down in just a few weeks.
First doses will stop being administered at Expo Park's Family Living Center starting Friday. Final second doses will be given on April 30th. More people are becoming eligible for the vaccine as we pass through phases, but Public Health Officer Trisha Gardner said the public demand right now isn't what it was at the beginning.
"The interest just wasn't there when we opened up the appointments they were not filling and that's a very large scale operation to keep going when we don't have guaranteed business coming in. That does not mean that the vaccines are going away,” Gardner said.
She said vaccines will still be available, just not at one central location at the Fairgrounds. People in younger age groups are also seeking other avenues like CVS or Walgreens to get the shot instead.
“They're just going to be distributed by multiple different agencies throughout town at smaller clinic-type settings. Other age groups consider what's convenient so it makes sense it would drop off a little bit once we got to the phase group with standard age population,” Gardner said.
Meanwhile, Alluvion Health's testing site will remain open for the foreseeable future here at the fairgrounds, so you can still come in and get tested if you're feeling ill.
Another option for you to obtain a vaccine is through Indian Health Services. Anyone can get a vaccine at IHS, but you need to make an appointment. To do that you can call Rachel at 406-770-9437. IHS is administering the Moderna vaccine. Appointments for vaccines are made for Wednesdays and Fridays.
In addition to vaccines IHS is also offering COVID testing. In order to get tested at IHS please call 406-268-1510. IHS in Great Falls is located at 1220 Central Avenue.
Gardner said there still may be options for easily accessible mass-vaccination sites in the future. Her team is still discussing possibilities of a drive up vaccination site at the Fairgrounds. So far they haven't released any exact plans. We will continue to follow this developing story.
