Category: News Article

HELENA — State officials said they are looking at a three-phased approach to provide vaccinations in Montana that includes getting the much-expected COVID-19 vaccines to frontline health care and other health care workers, high-risk populations and eventually to members of the general public who want it. The Department of Public Health and Human Services on Tuesday had the first meeting of a COVID-19 Vaccination Plan Coordination Team comprised of more than 60 people from key groups statewide. Plans are to ship the vaccines directly to the areas where they will be distributed.Pfizer recently asked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration

MISSOULA, Mont. — Operation Warp Speed means progress on COVID-19 vaccinations is moving fast, and state officials this week unveiled a draft plan of how initial vaccination distribution might look in Montana — but there is still a lot up in the air. The state’s vaccination plan is a draft based on a CDC playbook released in October. Part of it includes education and messaging to encourage folks to get the vaccine, which is something the country’s top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, emphasized in an exclusive NBC Montana interview Monday. “We need to articulate what actually happens. And

A great hope was announced to the world this week when we learned that a potential vaccine for COVID-19 is on the immediate horizon. Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer said its vaccine is 95% effective against the virus that has infected some 11 million U.S. residents and killed more than 250,000 since February. The company is asking federal regulators to allow emergency use of the vaccine, meaning shots could be available on a limited scale as early as next month. Globally, Pfizer has estimated it could have 50 million doses available by year’s end. Meanwhile, drugmaker Moderna says its vaccine is equally

Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., discuses his experience in the trial, calls recent vaccine news ‘very promising.’

Republican Sen. Steve Daines of Montana on Friday urged Americans to have confidence in the coronavirus vaccine from Pfizer and BioNTech, relying on his experience as a participant in the companies’ phase three clinical trial. The U.S. pharmaceutical giant and German biotech firm said earlier Friday they intended to apply for emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, making them the first companies to do so for a Covid-19 vaccine. Final data released this week showed the vaccine was 95% effective in preventing the disease. The FDA’s review process is expected to take a few weeks. “This

U.S. Senator Steve Daines announced earlier this week his participation in Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine trial and that he has since tested positive for COVID-19 antibodies. “The only way we’re going to end this pandemic is by getting a vaccine out to the American people,” Senator Daines said via phone to Wake Up Montana. Pfizer says their vaccine 95% effective and is seeking the FDA emergency use authorization. “My mom told me about it,” Senator Daines said, “my parents live in Bozeman and my mom was made aware of the Pfizer trial being administered by Bozeman Health… so Cindy (the senator’s

Montana U.S. Sen. Steve Daines said Wednesday that he participated in the COVID-19 vaccine trial for Pfizer, and that he believes he was given a successful dose. Daines later tested positive for antibodies, which does not mean he has the virus but would indicate possible immunity. He participated in the trial run out of Bozeman Health, which included volunteers in Bozeman, where Daines lives. The blind trial was part of Pfizer’s vaccine development. The drug manufacturer announced Wednesday its vaccine is 95% effective and it plans to seek emergency use authorization from the FDA in the next few days. Daines

U.S. Sen. Steve Daines said Wednesday he has been part of Pfizer’s trial for a COVID-19 vaccine, saying he wanted to help build confidence and trust for Montanans and others wondering if they should take the vaccine when it is approved. Pfizer has announced their vaccine is 95% effective in preventing the spread of the respiratory illness. As of noon Wednesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 11.3 million cases of COVID-19 in the United States and 247,834 deaths. Daines, R-Mont., said in a news conference that he received a call from his mother in August, saying Pfizer

Montana’s Republican Senator Steve Daines has a unique perspective on one of the two COVID-19 vaccines that’s nearing the finish line. Daines was a participant in the vaccine trial for Pfizer’s formulation, which is one of two mRNA-based vaccines taking vaccination science where it hasn’t been before. Pfizer and Moderna have both announced that their vaccines are 94 to 95 percent effective. Each uses human genes to teach the immune system to recognize the spike protein on the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, but they do it in a way that’s a markedly different process from previous vaccines. There’s no live, attenuated virus

HELENA – Sen. Steve Daines, R-Montana, said Wednesday that he has tested positive for COVID-19 antibodies after participating in Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine trial. Daines’ announcement came as drug company Pfizer said its vaccine is 95% effective. The company plans to seek emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration in the coming days. The senator and his wife were part of a group of over 100 Montana residents participating in the trial. “My goal is to help build confidence and trust for Montanans and the American people wondering if they should take the vaccine when it is approved. This