BUTTE — Butte-Silver Bow's current success at being one of the leading counties in the state in administering vaccinations is credited to the camaraderie of the community.
“Butte is a great community and we take care of our own. I had somebody say to be today, ‘Well, we have to take care of everyone, because who are we going to fight and argue with if they’re gone?’” said Operations Manager Diane Regan.
Butte has vaccinated more than 11,000 people since December. Its average is about 380 doses per 1,000 people, making it one of the highest in the state.
Health officials credit this to having the Butte Civic Center available each week. Also, they started a ticketing system that registers people in advance of each weekly vaccination clinic, which greatly helps in organization.
“If we have 1,000 shots and we have to roll 1,000 people through the Civic Center in a day, that’s a lot to think about. We have to make sure that we are paying close attention to infection control, making sure people are distanced, wiping down chairs in between when someone has sat down, so we want them in and we want them out so that everyone stays safe,” Regan said.
The Butte Health Department says that the best advice to putting together a successful vaccination clinic is to get a team of dedicated volunteers.
“We have volunteers everyday call, ‘What can I do? How can I help?’ and they’re here every week whether the weather’s cold, the snow is bad, and they’re very committed. We’re very lucky for that,” she said.
Butte is getting ready to move into its next phase of vaccinations those 60 years and older.