ADVC Partner CSKT Tribal Health Vaccinates Hundreds at Drive-Through Clinic
The rainy weather and bone-chilling temperatures were no match for staff of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes’ Tribal Health, who provided nearly 400 COVID-19 and flu vaccines to 232 Tribal Health-eligible individuals at the Flu & Covid-19 Drive-Thru Vaccination Clinic in October. The annual event, held at the SKC Joe McDonald Event Center, offered a convenient, quick way for people to get their seasonal flu and COVID shots while also serving as an exercise in emergency preparedness and management.
“It is important to hold these events when there is not an actual emergency, so we can use them as a training opportunity for staff,” said Kristin Murphy with CSKT Tribal Health. “This allows us to help train newer staff who perhaps weren’t trained in emergency management flow and protocol to be able to respond quickly and efficiently in the event of a public health emergency.”
CSKT Tribal Health is a partner with the Rural Institute’s Aging and Disability Vaccine Collaborative, which aims to reduce barriers to vaccination throughout West and Southwest Montana.
“It is also a great way to get staff out in the community and getting to be face-to-face with the people they are helping stay healthy. There is a tendency when you sit behind the desk to lose track of why we do this work, and these community vaccination events give staff a chance to see firsthand the difference they are making.”