COVID-19 Information
When making healthcare decisions for you and your family, it’s important to have the facts. This page provides places to find trustworthy, science-based information about COVID-19 and the mRNA vaccines.
It is normal to have questions and be cautious about making decisions regarding your health and your family’s health. We’re here to help. The Southwest District Health Customer Service Team is available every business day from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM AT 208-455-5300.
- Order Covid-19 tests at: https://covidtests.gov/
- Local pharmacies and medical providers that offer the Covid vaccine: most local pharmacies including Walgreens, Rite Aid, Albertsons, CVS, St. Luke’s Nampa, Costco, Fred Meyer, Walmart, and federally qualified health centers like Terry Reilly, Full Circle Health, Adams County Health Center, Desert Sage Health Center in Owyhee County, and Valley Family Health in Payette.
- Visit https://www.vaccines.gov/en/ and enter your zip code to find your nearest COVID-19 vaccine provider. Most insurance plans cover the cost of the vaccine. Terry Reilly offers discounts on most medical services to those who qualify based on their inability to pay or if they are underinsured.
Southwest District Health is a local, reliable resource for people wading through a wave of information online. Use this local data to make informed healthcare decisions for you and your family.
Covid-19 FAQ’s
(Updated July 2023)
Are Idahoans really dying from Covid?
From March 2020 to the end of 2021 (during the height of the pandemic) the overall amount of deaths in the southwest Idaho region went up by 52 more deaths per month than the historical monthly average. For perspective, that’s equivalent to about a year’s worth of suicides in our region every month.
Are the mRNA vaccines preventing deaths or causing deaths?
Local data shows that the more people that are getting the mRNA vaccines, the fewer overall deaths. So it is safe to draw the conclusion that if the mRNA vaccines were causing deaths we would expect to see an uptick in deaths.
Do the side effects of the mRNA vaccines cause death?
According to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) data from our area, in months when there are more people reporting side effects from an mRNA vaccine, fewer people die. This is likely because more people reporting side effects means more people are getting the vaccine. The most common side effects reported are pain, redness or swelling at the injection site, sleepiness, headache, chills, swollen lymph nodes, muscle pain, fever.
Where & how did you get this information?
This is the list of local and redundant data sources:
- (NBS) National Electronic Disease Surveillance System – Local epidemiologists populate this database with infectious diseases within our district.
- (NSSP) National Syndromic Surveillance Program– Local hospital emergency departments report Covid-related ER visits.
- (VAERS) Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System – Anyone can report side effects after receiving any kind of vaccine. The system then detects unusual patterns that might indicate a safety problem with the vaccine and reports to the CDC and the FDA.
These FAQ’s are available as a FREE downloadable PDF to SHARE with a friend.
