BOZEMAN, Mont. – A banner outside building four at the Gallatin County Fairgrounds in Bozeman reads “Vaccination Center.” Inside are eight tables where a steady stream of health care workers has been receiving a coronavirus vaccination.
The Gallatin City-County Health Department began distributing vaccines at the fairgrounds on Monday, continued the effort on Wednesday and is set to conclude this week’s vaccinations on Friday, said Emergency Management Chief Patrick Lonergan.
Next week, if the county receives another vaccine shipment as expected, the health department will once again distribute the doses at the fairgrounds.
On Wednesday, people entered the fairgrounds building to check in for their appointment, which they had scheduled online.
They handed over a waiver before sitting at one of eight tables where a nurse from Bozeman Health or Montana State University or a paramedic from the Bozeman Fire Department administered the vaccine.
After the vaccination, people were escorted outside and into a second building where they were monitored for 15 minutes for a possible adverse reaction to the vaccine.
Then, before exiting the fairgrounds, they signed up to receive their second dose in 28 days.
Angela Lehr, a mental health counselor at Three Rivers Medical Clinic in Three Forks, was among those vaccinated Wednesday.
“Working in a rural clinic, I felt that it was really important to do this to be able to continue serving the community,” she said. “It was a little nerve-wracking to get just because it’s new, but it’s also hopeful.”
Brian Nickolay, assistant chief of the Hyalite Rural Fire District, also received the vaccine. As an employee of an emergency service provider, he said he works directly with sick people, some of whom may have COVID-19.
“It’s good to be moving forward and hopefully getting back to normal,” he said.
The distribution site at the fairgrounds is the health department’s first such site and will likely be used through the summer as more and more people qualify for vaccination.
“This is not a quick process,” said Lonergan, the emergency management chief. “It is going to take a long time before we have enough vaccine supply to give to everyone in our community who wants a shot.”
