<html>
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8">
<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:"Segoe UI";
panose-1:2 11 5 2 4 2 4 2 2 3;}
/* 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;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
span.EmailStyle17
{mso-style-type:personal-compose;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:windowtext;}
p.paragraph, li.paragraph, div.paragraph
{mso-style-name:paragraph;
margin:0in;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
span.normaltextrun
{mso-style-name:normaltextrun;}
span.eop
{mso-style-name:eop;}
.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" style="word-wrap:break-word">
<div class="WordSection1">
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><img width="624" height="147" style="width:6.5in;height:1.5312in" id="_x0000_i1025" src="cid:image001.png@01D7B51A.FE340C40"></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">September 29, 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">Monoclonal antibody treatments save lives, reduce hospitalizations but not meant as alternative to COVID-19 vaccine<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><b><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Coeur d’Alene, Idaho – Governor Brad Little toured a state-sponsored monoclonal antibody treatment facility in Coeur d’Alene today to highlight the effectiveness of the treatments in saving
lives and reducing hospitalizations, but cautioned they are not meant as an alternative to receiving the safe 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"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">“Monoclonal antibody treatments are one more tool in our toolbox to save lives and reduce hospitalizations. We are doing what we can to make these life-saving treatments widely available,
but Idahoans are urged to choose to receive the vaccine to protect themselves and ensure healthcare access is available to all,” Governor Little said. “The COVID-19 vaccine is still the most effective way to avoid getting and spreading COVID-19. Ninety percent
of all new COVID-19 cases, COVID-19 hospitalizations, and COVID-19 deaths are among the unvaccinated.”<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">The State of Idaho is
</span><a href="https://cdapress.com/news/2021/sep/10/monoclonal-antibody-treatment-center-open-north-id/"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">partnering with Heritage Health and Northwest Specialty Hospital</span></a><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">
to provide the treatments at the Coeur d’Alene Fairgrounds. The state also recently
</span><a href="https://www.postregister.com/coronavirus/mountain-view-hospital-in-idaho-falls-tapped-as-state-monoclonal-antibody-site/article_ea56ac84-1a73-55ea-b4bc-7e5dc2c19ed4.html"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">partnered with Mountain
View Hospital in Idaho Falls</span></a><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"> to offer the treatments, and another location will be set up soon in the Treasure Valley.<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">Hundreds of Idahoans have avoided a trip to the hospital by receiving the treatments, which helps preserve healthcare capacity.<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">The three state-sponsored facilities are in addition to the 32 Idaho hospitals that already offer monoclonal antibody infusions in Idaho. A map displaying most treatment locations in Idaho
can be found </span><a href="https://protect-public.hhs.gov/pages/therapeutics-distribution"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">by clicking here</span></a><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">In most instances, individuals must test positive for COVID-19 and have a doctor’s referral to receive the treatments.<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">Antibody treatments have received Emergency Use Authorization, which means they are safe, but the Pfizer vaccine has received full FDA approval.<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="paragraph" align="center" style="text-align:center;background:white"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black"># # #</span></span><span class="eop"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black"> </span></span><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="paragraph" style="background:white"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black"> </span></span><span class="eop"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black"> </span></span><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="paragraph" style="background:white"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black">NEWS MEDIA CONTACT: Marissa Morrison, Press Secretary</span></span><span class="eop"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black"> </span></span><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="paragraph" style="background:white"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black">208-943-1686 or </span></span><span style="color:black"><a href="mailto:marissa.morrison@gov.idaho.gov"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:#0563C1;text-decoration:none">marissa.morrison@gov.idaho.gov</span></span></a></span><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black"> </span></span><span class="eop"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black"> </span></span><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="paragraph" style="background:white"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black">--</span></span><span class="eop"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black"> </span></span><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="paragraph" style="background:white"><span style="color:black"><a href="https://visitor.r20.constantcontact.com/manage/optin?v=001jPcDrZTUF2iffZAaFR5CaCO9D9OTNmcIrS9m2JnRBQLxSmCCDvAfzkhQC6WRNcW4O6931CUyPvAzTSP21AiJ4rioUvabaHbWJxzuwF2hEYM%3D#_blank"><span class="normaltextrun"><i><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:#0563C1;text-decoration:none">Sign
up to receive news from Governor Little</span></i></span></a></span><span class="eop"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black"> </span></span><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="paragraph" style="background:white"><span class="normaltextrun"><i><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black">Reply to this e-mail to unsubscribe</span></i></span><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>