Gov Gianforte: Montana Will Move to Phase 1B Plus

Gov Gianforte held a press conference today 03/02/2021, announcing Montana is slated to receive 8700 doses of the new Johnson and Johnson vaccine, later this week. Counties will begin distributing the vaccine next week.

The Johnson and Johnson vaccine is different from the current ones as it does not require the extreme cold refrigeration and it is a single dose vaccine.

Gov Gianforte stated:

"As we have been getting shots in arms, hospitalizations and deaths are on the decline so are positive cases. Our efforts to protect the most vulnerable are working. To build upon this progress and our efforts to protect more lives from this pandemic, the state of Montana will expand phase 1B."

Effective Monday, March 8th, the state will move to 1B+. This will cover those age 60 and older, along with those 16 and older with underlying health conditions, such as Asthma, Cystic Fibrosis, and Liver Disease. As they enter 1B+, the timeline for 1C will stay the same beginning late spring or early summer.