<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
<meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)">
<!--[if !mso]><style>v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
.shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
</style><![endif]--><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Open Sans";}
/* Style Definitions */
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#0563C1;
text-decoration:underline;}
p.MsoNoSpacing, li.MsoNoSpacing, div.MsoNoSpacing
{mso-style-priority:1;
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
span.EmailStyle17
{mso-style-type:personal-compose;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:windowtext;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]-->
</head>
<body lang="EN-US" link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72">
<div class="WordSection1">
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><b><span style="font-family:"Open Sans""><img width="624" height="147" style="width:6.5in;height:1.5312in" id="_x0000_i1025" src="cid:image001.png@01D6A7B1.84C3C200"></span></b><span style="font-family:"Open Sans""><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Open Sans""> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Open Sans"">FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Open Sans"">October 21, 2020<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Open Sans""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><u><span style="font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Open Sans"">COVID-19 Vaccine Advisory Committee sets first meeting<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Open Sans""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Open Sans"">Boise, Idaho – Governor Brad Little announced the membership of the Idaho COVID-19 Vaccine Advisory Committee, which will have its first meeting Friday.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Open Sans""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Open Sans"">“The availability of a safe, effective COVID-19 vaccine is one of the biggest hurdles in getting our lives closer to normal. Here in Idaho, we have been planning for months for the
distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine, and our COVID-19 Vaccine Advisory Committee will stay focused on making sure Idaho is ready when the initial supply becomes available,” Governor Little said.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Open Sans""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Open Sans"">Committee members represent stakeholders from across Idaho, including the tribes, priority populations, healthcare systems and providers, and immunization organizations. They will
lend their broad expertise to best enhance Idaho’s vaccine distribution plan in adherence with federal guidance and requirements.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Open Sans""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Open Sans"">A full list of the committee’s members is available at
</span><a href="https://coronavirus.idaho.gov/idaho-covid-19-vaccine-advisory-committee/"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Open Sans"">https://coronavirus.idaho.gov/idaho-covid-19-vaccine-advisory-committee/</span></a><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Open Sans"">.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Open Sans""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Open Sans"">The initial supply of vaccine is expected to be limited. Although the federal government has not made the final decision yet, it is expected the vaccine likely will be offered first
to healthcare workers. Vaccinating healthcare workers will protect them and their patients.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Open Sans""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Open Sans"">While Idaho has experience in prioritizing scarce medical supplies, developing prioritization plans for the H1N1 swine flu vaccine in 2009, and for the antiviral remdesivir to treat
COVID-19 earlier this year, the level of vaccine distribution amid this pandemic will be unprecedented.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Open Sans""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Open Sans"">“We want to assure Idahoans that vaccine safety is our No. 1 priority,” said Elke Shaw-Tulloch, state public health officer and executive secretary for the committee. “The committee
will advise Governor Little and the Department of Health and Welfare on vaccine implementation strategies to ensure broad vaccination coverage throughout the state.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Open Sans""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Open Sans"">The advisory committee’s timely creation will ensure a coordinated approach with Idaho’s COVID-19 interim vaccine distribution plan, which was submitted to the Centers of Disease
Control and Prevention by the Oct. 16 deadline. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Open Sans""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Open Sans"">Meetings of the COVID-19 Vaccine Advisory Committee are open to the public and meeting dates and details will be made available at
</span><a href="https://healthandwelfare.idaho.gov/"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Open Sans"">https://healthandwelfare.idaho.gov/</span></a><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Open Sans"">.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Open Sans""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Open Sans""># # #<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Open Sans""> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Open Sans"">NEWS MEDIA CONTACT: Marissa Morrison Hyer, Press Secretary<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Open Sans"">208-943-1686 or
</span><a href="mailto:marissa.morrison@gov.idaho.gov"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Open Sans"">marissa.morrison@gov.idaho.gov</span></a><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Open Sans"">
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Open Sans"">--<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><a href="https://visitor.r20.constantcontact.com/manage/optin?v=001jPcDrZTUF2iffZAaFR5CaCO9D9OTNmcIrS9m2JnRBQLxSmCCDvAfzkhQC6WRNcW4O6931CUyPvAzTSP21AiJ4rioUvabaHbWJxzuwF2hEYM%3D"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Open Sans"">Sign
up to receive news from Governor Little</span></i></a><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Open Sans""><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Open Sans"">Reply to this e-mail to unsubscribe</span></i><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>