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Idaho looking to use website to help with COVID-19 vaccine timeline, appointment coordination

The state has purchased a pandemic management tool called PrepMod, an online clinic management and appointment scheduling system developed in Maryland.

BOISE, Idaho — State health officials are looking to make it easier for Idahoans to find out when they will be eligible to get the COVID-19 vaccine and to help coordinate vaccinations.

During his weekly AARP telephone town hall on Tuesday, Gov. Brad Little pointed out that many other states are also working on getting vaccine scheduling information up on easy-to-use websites. 

The goal is to be able to visit the website, put in a few pieces of information and then find out when the vaccine will be available, based on that information, and to actually schedule an appointment to get vaccinated.

But, Little said, they'll need Idahoans' help to make it a success.

"Other states are working on this, we are working on that,” Little said. "Our goal is, hopefully, there'll be a place where everybody can go, and they'll know what the flow rate is and when they can get signed up. But please your providers with the logistics, you know, obviously your name, your date of birth, how to contact you so you're available for the second vaccination. Because anything we can do to shorten the paperwork time means my providers will have more time to put shots in arms."

Sarah Leeds is the manager of the Idaho Immunization Program. She joined several top state health experts Tuesday afternoon for a virtual press conference that provided an update to the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine in Idaho.

Leeds confirmed Idaho is working to offer the type of website the governor described. The state has purchased a pandemic management tool called PrepMod, an online clinic management and appointment scheduling system developed in Maryland. It was used there by local health departments to conduct mass vaccination and school-located clinics. 

Many states are now using PrepMod to set up vaccination clinics, according to Leeds.

"This tool will allow clinics to set up vaccination appointments by station and the people, also the general public, can use the tool to find clinics, and they'll sign up and get alerts for when there will be a clinic when it's their turn, and we are about to launch that," Leeds said.

So far, over 20,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been given statewide.

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