Small town, big numbers

ELK RIVER — In the small town of Elk River, residents are used to people visiting from out of town. Nestled among pine trees and bordering a reservoir and camping grounds, the community is a frequent stop for recreation during the summer.

When the pandemic hit two years ago, the number of visitors skyrocketed, residents said — leaving the mostly senior populace nervous for their health.

“(We were) just getting swamped with them,” said Mayor Dave Brown. “That scared us, because they were coming through and heading out to the hills and we were afraid that (the COVID-19 virus) was gonna catch here in town.”

In Clearwater County, about 38% of residents are fully vaccinated for COVID-19 — well below the statewide rate of 52.6%. But in Elk River, that influx of visitors prompted something unheard of for the region: A population town officials estimate is roughly 75% vaccinated.

That overwhelmingly high vaccination rate in a rural and relatively conservative Idaho town didn’t come out of nowhere. Part of the explanation for Elk River’s high vaccination rate is the age of its residents — many are in their 60s or 70s, Brown said. But it was also thanks to efforts of a few persistent residents, and a small pharmacy based in Orofino.

For weeks, several of the roughly 130 permanent residents of Elk River wanted a vaccine, but were unable, or unwilling, to travel for a shot that might not be available when they got there, said city clerk Christina Bartlett.

“I remember going to Moscow — some places would have it, and then they’d be out or something. … We don’t go to town every day,” Bartlett said. “They’re like, ‘Oh, we’re out of it, but we’ll have it tomorrow.’ I’m like, ‘That, that doesn’t do me any good.’ ”

In January 2021, residents decided to take things into their own hands. Wayne Wilson, the town’s fire chief, first brought the idea up after talking to residents about the inaccessibility of the vaccines.

“A lot of people approached me saying that they would like to get the shot, but they don’t want to drive all the way to Orofino,” Wilson said. “The roads are bad, you know, and Lewiston is even farther away, or Moscow. I said, ‘Why don’t you give me a week or so, and let me go talk to Dave (Brown). And maybe we could get them to come up here.’ ”

Wilson brought the idea to Brown, who began making calls with the local health department and pharmacies, to no avail.

“I really had trouble putting it together,” he said. “I called the North Idaho Health District, and they said, ‘It’s a great idea. But we’ll get back to you.’ Every week, I’d call.”

Finally, Brown landed on the Clearwater Canyon Pharmacy in Orofino. The manager, Ernie Upshaw, helped organize two technicians, Peter Economen and Marie Eich, to do vaccination clinics. The first clinic was held in March 2021.

To schedule those clinics, city clerk Christina Bartlett compiled a list of residents, and councilwoman Diana Olson called each person to schedule.

“We didn’t pressure anybody, we just called and said ‘We’re gonna have this clinic, would you like to participate? And if you do, if you need a ride, give us a call, we’ll get you there and back,’ ” Brown said. “The support was overwhelming.”

Out of all the residents they called, only five declined, Brown said. Wilson provided transportation to residents who needed it, and EMTs DeEtta Mitchell and Kelly Styre monitored patients before they went home.

The town was so organized, the pharmacy technicians ended up requesting the 10 minute vaccine slots be reduced to five minutes.

“Everything was planned and prepared in advance for them,” Upshaw said. “It was one of the easiest clinics that either one of them has ever been to.”

Carrie Ball, one of the residents who got a vaccination, said she believes a big part of the clinic’s success was the involvement of people the residents knew.

“They saw that everybody else was doing it, and it became more of a community thing,” she said.

Offering vaccinations locally was also an incentive for elderly or immune-compromised residents who were worried about the safety of traveling, she said, adding that many residents wouldn’t have gotten the vaccination if it wasn’t in town.

Ball, who is immune compromised, also has a father who is elderly and immune compromised.

“(My father) has not left the home in two years. He was a regular churchgoer and all that, and he’s not left the home in two years. So I knew that I had to get it for myself. But most importantly, I wanted to get it so that I didn’t give anything to him,” she said. “As soon as I knew that they were having it here, I was all in.”

The first vaccination clinic was so successful, the town of Bovill ended up scheduling a clinic with the same pharmacy after talking with Elk River residents, Brown said.

Mitchell, one of the EMTs at the clinic, said some residents who didn’t come to the first clinic did end up getting vaccinated at the second.

“I think some of them were hesitant the first time, but nobody grew a third eye or hit the floor,” she said. “So they were less hesitant and did come.”

Sun may be contacted at rsun@lmtribune.com or on Twitter at @Rachel_M_Sun. This report is made possible by the Lewis-Clark Valley Healthcare Foundation in partnership with Northwest Public Broadcasting, the Lewiston Tribune and the Moscow-Pullman Daily News.