Idaho Department of Health and Welfare
Here’s how effective COVID-19 vaccines have been in Idaho. (Hint: Very.)
The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare last week shared a graphic to illustrate how much of Idaho’s COVID-19 activity is among the unvaccinated. Elke Shaw-Tulloch, Idaho’s Public Health Division administrator, was making a point about how getting a coronavirus vaccine can reduce the risk of getting sick with COVID-19, significantly reduce the risk of […]
As delta spreads, Idaho’s COVID-19 cases are ‘headed the wrong direction’
Idaho Health and Welfare Director Dave Jeppesen began the state’s latest COVID-19 media briefing with some bad news: After several weeks of improvement, all of Idaho’s coronavirus indicators are “now headed the wrong direction,” he said. “These trends are very concerning, particularly as we look forward to the fall, with the return of the flu […]
5 reasons some Idahoans didn’t get the COVID vaccine — and what might persuade them
A new report on vaccine hesitancy in Idaho sheds light on what’s behind the state’s low COVID-19 vaccination rate. More than 710,000 people in Idaho have now chosen to get the COVID-19 vaccine. That’s about 47% of the people eligible at this point. But public health experts believe it will take a lot more people […]
Idaho hits a COVID vaccine milestone: More than 50% of adults got their shots
Idaho has reached a milestone in protecting its residents and economy from the coronavirus. More than half of Idaho’s adults have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare reported that 50.2% of Idaho adults had chosen to be vaccinated. “We likely will not meet the national […]
What’s the COVID-19 vaccination rate at Idaho’s care facilities? We don’t know.
A bare minimum of 10,000 residents and 7,000 staff at Idaho long term care facilities have chosen to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, based on data provided to the Idaho Capital Sun by the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare. That’s nearly twice the number of COVID-19 cases that facilities have reported during the pandemic, according […]
Want a free, at-home COVID-19 test? In Idaho, just dial 2-1-1.
Idahoans who may have COVID-19 can now easily request a saliva test kit to use in their home, with results in one to three days. The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare announced Tuesday that it now offers free at-home COVID-19 tests to Idaho residents. Dial 2-1-1 to request them. The orders require no personal […]
16,000 school-aged kids in Idaho caught COVID-19. That’s not what school reports said.
Idaho schools did not know about, or report, more than half of COVID-19 cases among students in the last school year, according to an Idaho Capital Sun data analysis. More than 16,000 school-aged children in Idaho had COVID-19 between the first week of September and May 22. But the statewide summary of COVID-19 cases linked […]
Pandemic fallout: Idaho health department responds to need for depression, anxiety resources
The oldest caller to the Idaho Suicide Prevention Hotline since it launched in 2012 was 92 years old, while the youngest was just 7 years old. And as the COVID-19 pandemic has gripped the state, Idahoans of all ages have needed more mental health resources to get by. During the first three months of 2021, […]
Idaho’s COVID-19 vaccinations have fallen to their lowest since January
The number of people in Idaho receiving their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine has fallen to its lowest level since winter, when vaccines were limited to only certain groups of Idahoans. The state’s coronavirus vaccine dashboard shows that Idaho’s uptake peaked earlier this spring, when health care providers were vaccinating 9,000 to 11,000 Idahoans […]
Who’s getting the COVID-19 vaccine in Idaho? Who isn’t? Here’s the data.
Some of Idaho’s wealthiest and least vulnerable communities have reached higher levels of protection from the virus that causes COVID-19, while the more vulnerable remain at risk. The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare provided COVID-19 vaccination data by ZIP code, and by week, to the Idaho Capital Sun. The data, obtained through a public […]
Left on the table: Millions from federal relief bill went untouched by Idaho Legislature
If you felt like it was hard to keep track of the various bills appropriating millions of dollars under consideration at the Idaho Legislature this session, you aren’t alone. Between power struggles over whether the Legislature would retain control of federal funds between legislative sessions and battles over funding for COVID-19 testing in school and […]
‘We’re so thrilled’: Child care proponents celebrate House vote to approve grant funds
Just before the House of Representatives voted on $70 million in federal child care grant funding, Rep. Brooke Green, D-Boise, handed out paper cutouts of tiny hands and feet with names and ages of children and a message that read “Fund My Future” on the back to all 70 members. Her own cutout was from […]