COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution
Idaho State University is closely collaborating with state and local public health officials to develop a comprehensive vaccine education and distribution program for our communities. There have been many questions about the safety of the COVID-19 vaccine, when our campus community will be eligible to be vaccinated, and how the University will support vaccine distribution across the state. Please note that this email is unable to fully answer all of those questions, and more information will be shared with the campus community in the near future.

The University is collaborating with Southeastern Idaho Public Health and Portneuf Medical Center to provide a mass vaccination clinic on the Pocatello campus. The site will follow the State of Idaho’s staged vaccine distribution timeline. Southeastern Idaho Public Health will announce specific details about the mass vaccination site next week. 

All students, faculty, and staff will have an opportunity to receive a COVID-19 vaccine according to the distribution timeline, which takes into account vaccine supply and availability. The University has made the decision to not require vaccinations at this time, however vaccines are strongly encouraged to maintain and ensure the health and safety of the entire Bengal community. As part of developing our plan for providing vaccines to members of the campus community, University leadership met with the Faculty Senate, Associated Students of ISU, and Staff Council for input and feedback.
Many members of our campus community are currently eligible to be vaccinated through approved vaccine providers.
  • Individuals 65 and older
  • Education: pre-K through 12th grade staff and teachers and daycare workers (including ISU Early Learning Center employees)
  • Health care professionals in clinics and hospitals, including faculty and students in health programs who have patient care responsibilities
  • Long-term care facility staff
  • Home care providers for adults 65 years of age and older or for other adults or children with high-risk medical conditions
  • Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel
  • Dentists, dental hygienists, and dental assistants
  • Pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and pharmacy aides
  • Public health and emergency management response workers who are unable to telework
  • First responders (firefighters/police) and safety (including ISU Public Safety officers) 
To see when you are eligible for COVID-19 vaccination, visit the State of Idaho COVID-19 vaccine website. If you are eligible to receive the vaccine, you can find more information about where and how to set up an appointment by contacting your local health district.
We understand that some members of our campus community may be concerned about getting vaccinated. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a comprehensive overview of the COVID-19 vaccination.
COVID-19 vaccination will help keep you from getting COVID-19
  • All COVID-19 vaccines currently available in the United States have been shown to be highly effective at preventing COVID-19. Learn more about the different COVID-19 vaccines.
  • All COVID-19 vaccines currently available in the United States have been shown to be safe.
  • All COVID-19 vaccines in development are being carefully evaluated in clinical trials and will be authorized or approved only if they make it substantially less likely you’ll get COVID-19. Learn more about how federal partners are ensuring COVID-19 vaccines work.
  • Based on what we know about vaccines for other diseases and early data from clinical trials, experts believe that getting a COVID-19 vaccine may also help keep you from getting seriously ill even if you do get COVID-19.
  • Getting vaccinated yourself may also protect people around you, particularly people at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19.
  • Experts continue to conduct more studies about the effect of COVID-19 vaccination on severity of illness from COVID-19, as well as the vaccine’s ability to keep people from spreading the virus that causes COVID-19.
COVID-19 vaccination will be an important tool to help stop the pandemic
  • Wearing masks and social distancing help reduce your chance of being exposed to the virus or spreading it to others, but these measures are not enough. Vaccines will work with your immune system so it will be ready to fight the virus if you are exposed.
  • The combination of getting vaccinated and following CDC’s recommendations to protect yourself and others will offer the best protection from COVID-19.
  • Stopping a pandemic and increasing the safety of our campus community requires using all the tools we have available. As experts learn more about how COVID-19 vaccination may help reduce spread of the disease in communities, CDC will continue to update the recommendations to protect communities using the latest science.
Idaho State
This communication was sent to all Idaho State students, faculty, and staff.
Send comments, feedback, and questions to communications@isu.edu.
View this email as a web page.