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<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><i><u><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black">Editors: The attached graphic is available for your use.<o:p></o:p></span></u></i></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><img width="624" height="147" style="width:6.5in;height:1.5277in" id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image001.jpg@01D79517.1205DEC0" alt="Graphical user interface, application
Description automatically generated"></span><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">August 19, 2021<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><u><span style="font-size:20.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Vaccine is our best shot at keeping kids in school<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center"><i><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">By Governor Brad Little<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent:.5in"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Idaho students are back to their classrooms – a welcome transition for students and families across our state.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent:.5in"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Our main defense in ensuring the new school year is entirely in-person – free from outbreaks and quarantines – is the COVID-19 vaccine.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent:.5in"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">The highly contagious delta variant is circulating in our communities and hospitals are filling up again with COVID patients. This time, though, the patients are
almost entirely unvaccinated people. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent:.5in"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Our students need to be able to learn in their classrooms with their teachers and peers. We can give our kids the best chance at a normal school year if more Idahoans
choose to receive the vaccine.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent:.5in"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Just over half of Idaho’s adult population is vaccinated, with the greatest share of those vaccinated over the age of 65. I want to thank the close to 800,000 Idahoans
for choosing to protect yourselves, your loved ones, our economy, and our students by making that choice.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent:.5in"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">I understand there are many who simply will not receive the vaccine under any circumstances, but there are also a lot of others who are on the fence about receiving
the vaccine. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent:.5in"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent:.5in"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">To those friends and neighbors of ours waiting to receive the vaccine, the time to get the vaccine is now – when our students are going back to school.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent:.5in"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">We can minimize or eliminate disruptions in the delivery of education, as well as sports and extracurricular activities during this school year, if more Idahoans
choose to get vaccinated. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent:.5in"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Our younger population – children under age 12 – cannot receive the vaccine, and they need us – the adults – to make the right decision now so they can stay well
and have a productive, successful school year.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent:.5in"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Parents of 12- to 17-year-olds are also encouraged to have your children vaccinated. Your child’s pediatrician can help if you have questions about the vaccine.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent:.5in"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Two hundred million Americans have received the vaccine safely. The risk of death or serious injury is extremely low. By comparison, the risk of death or hospitalization
from the COVID-19 disease is much, much higher, and it’s growing.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"> While dysfunction persists in the Biden White House at the national level – with failed approaches on the border crisis, Afghanistan, and the pandemic – Idahoans here at home
can control what happens in our schools and our communities by choosing to receive the vaccine and giving students our best shot at keeping them in school.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent:.5in"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Now is the time to choose to receive the vaccine!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"># # #<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><i><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">402 words<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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