Grand Forks Partnership Delivers Over 600 Vaccines to 75+ This Week

Grand Forks, N.D. - The City of Grand Forks, Grand Forks Public Health Department, and Altru Health System have partnered to host community-scheduled vaccination clinics to the public. More than 600 people aged 75 and older received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine this week as we transitioned into the first Tier of Phase 1B vaccinations. An additional 225 people of Tier 1A (Healthcare Personnel and First Responders) were also vaccinated. Additional vaccinations of those 75 and older will continue next week.

City of Grand Forks Mayor Brandon Bochenski said, “We are excited in Grand Forks to have one phone number, one link, one list, and ultimately one plan where the public is able to access the COVID-19 Vaccine. This is about efficiency, simplicity, and ease for our community. The confidence this brings to our Grand Forks population that there is one community list and it is prioritized by Phase & Tier is key in our process. Friends and family will not have to fret and scramble getting on multiple lists at different locations, insurance will not be billed, and administrative fees will not be collected.”

Anyone 75 and older who want to be vaccinated should call the COVID Hotline at 701.780.6358 to be added to the auto-prioritized Community Waitlist. Those eligible to receive the vaccine can also join the waitlist by visiting mychart.altru.org.

When a vaccine dose is available to you, a vaccine team member will reach out to schedule a vaccination time. Please do not visit a community-scheduled vaccination clinic without an appointment. Vaccines will only be administered to people with scheduled appointments.

Please Note: Anyone planning to receive a COVID-19 vaccine dose must not have received any other vaccines within 14 days of their appointment. If another vaccine has been administered, these patients will be asked to wait until 14 days have passed.

Due to the amount of vaccine allocated to the State of North Dakota the time needed to vaccinate the 75 and older population may take several weeks. Those who fit into future tiers of phase 1B,1C, or phase 2 should refrain from calling until we communicate that we are moving into the next tier.

This community partnership allows people in our community to receive the vaccine at no cost to the patients, without billing insurance or collecting administrative fees.

Community members should continue to follow #NDSmart guidelines to slow the spread of COVID-19, including staying home when sick, staying six feet apart, avoiding large gatherings, washing your hands often, avoiding touching your face, wearing a mask, and continuing to clean frequently touched surfaces.

For more information on COVID-19, visit www.grandforksgov.com/vaccine.