6/10/21 Update: Johnson & Johnson vaccine is in limited supply and it is anticipated that it will be several months before Flathead County receives it’s next shipment. If you would like to receive the Johnson & Johnson please submit an online form as soon as possible. FCCHD will continue to have ample supply of the Pfizer vaccine.

All Montanans aged 12 and older are eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccine appointments. If you are interested in receiving a free COVID-19 vaccine, please submit an online vaccine request form and an FCCHD staff member will call to schedule your vaccination appointment. All COVID-19 vaccine patients that are minors will need consent from a parent or legal guardian to receive a vaccine.

Please print and fill out this form if your child (17 and under) is scheduled to receive a COVID-19 vaccine and a parent/guardian will not be present.

Last Updated 6/10/2021

COVID-19 Vaccine

Page Last Updated 5/14/2021. 

All Montanans aged 12 and older are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

 Click here to view the Montana COVID-19 Vaccine Dashboard. Appointment-only clinics are held weekly at the Flathead County Fairgrounds on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Click here if you live in Whitefish or Columbia Falls and would like to schedule your COVID-19 vaccination appointment. (Ages 18+)

Reminders:

  • All individuals on the list to receive a free COVID-19 vaccine will be called to schedule an appointment once a vaccine becomes available. You may receive an appointment as early as next week.

Steps to Receive a COVID-19 Vaccine:

  1. Determine if you are eligible to receive the vaccine at this time. All Montanans aged 12 and older are eligible to receive a free vaccine.

  2. Fill out our online Vaccine Request Form.

  3. Enter your information and submit the form. Once submitted you will be added to the list. Please only submit one form. You may receive an appointment as early as within the week.

  4. Please answer the phone when our schedulers are trying to reach you. To ensure you receive an appointment, we advise those individuals on the waiting-to-be-scheduled list to answer calls from unknown callers with (406) area codes as it may be staff calling to schedule a vaccination appointment.

Submitting an online request form is the easiest method to be added to the list to receive the vaccine. However, if internet access is unavailable individuals may also call the COVID-19 Vaccine Line at 406-751-8119.

Learn more about the different COVID-19 vaccines:

4/24/21 Update: Currently, three vaccines are authorized and recommended to prevent COVID-19. Following recent federal recommendations, the use of Johnson and Johnson vaccine may resume.

Type

Doses Needed

Approved for Ages

Fact Sheet

Pfizer-BioNTech

mRNA

2

16+

Pfizer EUA

Moderna

mRNA

2

18+

Moderna EUA

Johnson and Johnson

Viral Vector

1

18+

J & J EUA *updated

Additional Resources:

Different COVID-19 Vaccines
About the Vaccine
What to expect at your vaccine appointment.
Benefits of receiving a COVID-19 vaccine
Montana DPHHS
After You Have Been Fully Vaccinated
Helpful Reminders

Until the vaccine is widely available, everyone should continue to follow critical public health protocols:

  • Avoid large crowds and social gatherings.

  • Wear a mask in public.

  • Maintain social distancing (6ft) from non-household members.

Explore More:

COVID-19 Vaccine FAQs

COVID-19 Vaccine Facts

CDC Resources

Kalispell Regional Healthcare

Governor Gianforte’s COVID-19 Taskforce: Montana COVID-19 Vaccine Tiers

Tier 1A Recipients

  • Frontline healthcare workers

  • Long term care and assisted living facilities

  • Healthcare workers with direct patient contact or virus exposure

Tier 1B Recipients

  • Persons aged 70 years and older

  • American Indians and other people of color who may be at elevated risk for COVID-19 complications

  • Persons aged 16-69 with any of the following high risk medical conditions:

    • Cancer

    • Chronic Kidney Disease

    • COPD

    • Down Syndrome

    • Heart conditions such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, or cardiomyopathies

    • Immunocompromised state (weakened immune system) from solid organ transplant

    • Severe obesity (BMI ≥ 40 kg/m2)

    • Sickle cell disease

    • Type 1 & 2 diabetes mellitus

    • On a case by case basis, medical providers may include individuals with other conditions that place them at elevated risk.

Tier 1B+Recipients (New):

  • Persons aged 60 years and older

  • Persons aged 16-69 with medical conditions not included in tier1b that may have an elevated risk of COVID-19 complications, including:

    • Asthma (moderate to severe)

    • Cerebrovascular disease

    • Cystic fibrosis

    • Immunocompromised state from blood or bone marrow transplant, immune deficiencies, HIV, use of corticosteroids, or other immune weakening medicines

    • Neurologic conditions, such as dementia

    • Liver disease

    • Pulmonary fibrosis (having damaged or scarred lung tissues)

    • Thalassemia (a type of blood disorder)

    • On a case by case basis, medical providers may include individuals with other conditions that place them at elevated risk for COVID-19 related complications.

Tier 1C Recipients (Eligible to receive vaccine beginning April 1st, 2021):

  • Frontline essential workers not already included in Phase 1B or Phase 1B+.

  • Individuals residing in congregate care and correctional facilities not already included in Phase 1B or Phase 1B+.

Tier 2 Recipients (Eligible to receive vaccine beginning April 1st, 2021):

  • All remaining Montanans aged 16 years and older

Why do I need to make an appointment?

Vaccine availability is limited at this time and we are unsure of how much vaccine we will receive each week.

Scheduling helps us plan ahead to have the right number of doses on hand, and it helps with a smoother delivery process for everyone involved at the vaccination site.

Please note that in order to be vaccinated, you will need to:

  1. Be a member of the current tier

  2. Have a scheduled appointment

  3. Provide appropriate identification once you arrive at the vaccination site

Public Health is working closely with state and local partners to ensure vaccine is distributed efficiently.  Additional information for other tier groups will also be shared as it becomes available.

About the Vaccine

Safety is a top priority in delivering a COVID-19 vaccine. Once a company develops a vaccine, it must go through a rigorous scientific testing process before it can be submitted to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA independently reviews the information from these tests to make sure the vaccine is safe and works well, and then decides whether the vaccine can be made available to the public through emergency use authorization.

After a vaccine is authorized for use, multiple safety monitoring systems are in place to watch for possible adverse events. If an unexpected serious adverse event is detected, experts work as quickly as possible to determine whether it is a true safety concern.

For Additional Information

Vaccine Records

After you receive your first dose of vaccine, you will receive a paper vaccination record that shows which vaccine you received and when. Keep this card in a safe place. Bring this card with you if your vaccine requires a second dose (I.e., Pfizer or Moderna) so that your provider can document your full vaccination.