Southwest Montana News

State health officials have noted a persistent trend in hospitalizations linked to unvaccinated COVID-19 patients in Montana. According to Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) Director Adam Meier, data from June 5 to July 30 indicates that 89% of those hospitalized had not received the vaccine. This data comes from an analysis covering 358 hospitalizations with ages ranging from 1 to 97 years old.

The average daily number of COVID-19 hospitalizations has begun to rise, reaching an average of 95 people, which marks a 44% increase from late July. Last November saw the highest numbers with an average of 427 daily hospitalizations.

New COVID-19 cases are also on the rise, increasing from 359 cases at the end of June to 1,180 by the end of July. "This data illustrates just how effective the COVID-19 vaccine is in preventing serious illness," said Meier. He emphasized the importance of vaccination as fall and winter approach.

Encouragingly, there has been an uptick in first-dose vaccinations, with an 18% increase noted between late July weeks. "This is an encouraging sign," Meier commented.

Montana reports over 900,000 doses administered and over 445,000 individuals fully vaccinated as of August 5th. Approximately 48% of eligible Montanans are vaccinated, aligning with national trends. About 74% of those aged 60 and older are fully vaccinated.

DPHHS continues its public awareness campaign on vaccination safety and efficacy. Acting State Medical Director Maggie Cook-Shimanek stressed the importance for all eligible individuals to get vaccinated to limit virus spread and prevent new variants like Delta.

The department provides updates on various COVID-19 metrics including case counts and vaccination rates across different demographics through their website.