(RiverStone Health news release)
Billings – A Yellowstone County woman in her 40s died on Tuesday at a Billings hospital from COVID-19 related illness. She had not been vaccinated and had no underlying health conditions, according to information received by RiverStone Health.
“The pandemic is taking the lives of adults of all ages – parents, spouses, siblings, grandparents, aunts and uncles,” said John Felton, Yellowstone County health officer and RiverStone Health president and CEO. “The tragic death Tuesday marks the third time so far in 2021 that a Yellowstone County resident younger than 50 died of COVID-19 illness. None of those three victims was vaccinated against this deadly virus.”
More than four of every five recent COVID-19 patients in Billings hospitals had not gotten vaccinated before they got sick. On Wednesday, Billings Clinic and St. Vincent Healthcare together had 56 COVID-19 patients hospitalized, including 17 in ICU and 12 on ventilators.
COVID-19 cases are increasing. In Yellowstone County, 703 new cases have been reported in the first 17 days of August, compared with 451 new cases in the entire month of July.
Severe illness and death from COVID-19 is highly preventable through vaccination. RiverStone Health will offer these free, walk-in vaccination clinics this month:
· Friday, Aug. 20, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m., RiverStone Health, Lil Anderson Center, 123 S. 27th St., (four-story building), Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson vaccines will be offered.
· Aug, 30, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m., Rocky Mountain College, in the Bair Family Student Center, with Pfizer and J&J.
· RiverStone Health Immunization Clinic, 123 S. 27th, in the Lil Anderson Center, is offering appointments for all students’ back-to-school vaccinations, including the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. Vaccinations will be available 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. today through Friday, Aug. 20. Call 247-3382 for an appointment. COVID-19 vaccinations and childhood immunizations will still be available after this week, but hours for appointments will be reduced.
More vaccination information is posted at covid.riverstonehealth.org.