Vaccinations Progressing, but Availability Limited

1

00:00:00,150 --> 00:00:02,080

San Juan based in public health officials

2

00:00:02,080 --> 00:00:05,240

say they've administered

the first COVID vaccinations

3

00:00:05,240 --> 00:00:07,380

to nearly all frontline healthcare workers

4

00:00:07,380 --> 00:00:09,600

in La Plata and Archuleta Counties

5

00:00:09,600 --> 00:00:12,930

but limited supplies are

hindering progress on vaccinating

6

00:00:12,930 --> 00:00:14,750

those next in line.

7

00:00:14,750 --> 00:00:16,810

You're watching the local

news network brought to you

8

00:00:16,810 --> 00:00:19,170

by Krieger's ACE hardware in Durango.

9

00:00:19,170 --> 00:00:21,200

I'm Wendy Graham Settle.

10

00:00:21,200 --> 00:00:25,040

The number of confirmed

COVID-19 cases continues to rise

11

00:00:25,040 --> 00:00:26,900

in La Plata and Archuleta county,

12

00:00:26,900 --> 00:00:30,700

with nearly 200 cases reported

the second week of January,

13

00:00:30,700 --> 00:00:34,330

in what public health officials

say is a post holiday spike,

14

00:00:34,330 --> 00:00:37,540

from Christmas gatherings

and new year's eve parties.

15

00:00:37,540 --> 00:00:39,040

So far, La Plata County

16

00:00:39,040 --> 00:00:42,230

has had a total of nearly

2,600 confirmed cases

17

00:00:42,230 --> 00:00:45,250

and Archuleta County 560 cases

18

00:00:45,250 --> 00:00:49,310

since the pandemic hit Colorado

on March 4th last year.

19

00:00:49,310 --> 00:00:50,730

That's the bad news.

20

00:00:50,730 --> 00:00:52,810

The good news is that vaccinations

21

00:00:52,810 --> 00:00:54,960

against the virus are underway,

22

00:00:54,960 --> 00:00:57,290

although supplies are limited.

23

00:00:57,290 --> 00:01:00,880

Currently we are concluding phase 1A

24

00:01:00,880 --> 00:01:01,840

in Southwest Colorado,

25

00:01:01,840 --> 00:01:04,240

which is our high risk healthcare workers.

26

00:01:04,240 --> 00:01:07,410

Phase 1A also includes our

long-term care facilities.

27

00:01:07,410 --> 00:01:09,560

All of the long-term

care facilities and staff

28

00:01:09,560 --> 00:01:12,650

in Southwest Colorado have

received their first dose

29

00:01:12,650 --> 00:01:14,590

and we're just waiting

on the second doses.

30

00:01:14,590 --> 00:01:17,470

So, we're substantially

complete with phase 1A.

31

00:01:17,470 --> 00:01:20,450

We've made a lot of

progress into phase 1B,

32

00:01:20,450 --> 00:01:24,230

especially the groups that were

originally part of phase 1B,

33

00:01:24,230 --> 00:01:26,410

our moderate risk health care workers

34

00:01:26,410 --> 00:01:28,460

and our first responders.

35

00:01:28,460 --> 00:01:31,440

Just this week, I think

this week in La Plata County

36

00:01:31,440 --> 00:01:33,410

and last week in Archuleta County,

37

00:01:33,410 --> 00:01:37,050

we had the first doses for

members of the general public

38

00:01:37,050 --> 00:01:38,910

aged 70 and older.

39

00:01:38,910 --> 00:01:40,870

That is a very, very large category.

40

00:01:40,870 --> 00:01:43,840

It's thousands of people

in Southwest Colorado

41

00:01:43,840 --> 00:01:46,110

so it is going to take

some time to complete.

42

00:01:46,110 --> 00:01:48,380

The good news is we have new providers

43

00:01:48,380 --> 00:01:51,550

getting enrolled to

give shots all the time,

44

00:01:51,550 --> 00:01:53,850

which means there are more

appointments available,

45

00:01:53,850 --> 00:01:55,700

more places people can go.

46

00:01:55,700 --> 00:02:00,700

There's also discussions around

large vaccination clinics.

47

00:02:00,720 --> 00:02:02,590

The hospitals are getting more doses

48

00:02:02,590 --> 00:02:05,250

to vaccinate members of the public.

49

00:02:05,250 --> 00:02:07,240

It's a really exciting time.

50

00:02:07,240 --> 00:02:08,660

There is a lot to it though

51

00:02:08,660 --> 00:02:11,210

and it is a very, very

large group of people.

52

00:02:11,210 --> 00:02:13,970

Vaccine availability

continues to be limited

53

00:02:13,970 --> 00:02:17,070

by the number of supplies

that we get from Colorado,

54

00:02:17,070 --> 00:02:18,700

the number of supplies Colorado gets

55

00:02:18,700 --> 00:02:19,910

from the federal government

56

00:02:19,910 --> 00:02:20,743

and of course,

57

00:02:20,743 --> 00:02:23,780

what the federal government

gets from the manufacturers.

58

00:02:23,780 --> 00:02:25,460

According to the Colorado Department

59

00:02:25,460 --> 00:02:27,530

of Public Health and Environment,

60

00:02:27,530 --> 00:02:31,080

Colorado receives only

70,000 vaccines a week

61

00:02:31,080 --> 00:02:34,150

for the state's 5.8 million residents.

62

00:02:34,150 --> 00:02:37,490

The state health department

also noted that fewer than 10%

63

00:02:37,490 --> 00:02:40,010

of La Plata county's 10,000 residents,

64

00:02:40,010 --> 00:02:44,810

ages 65 years and older, have

received their first vaccines.

65

00:02:44,810 --> 00:02:46,150

San Juan based in public health

66

00:02:46,150 --> 00:02:48,650

and other health clinics and organizations

67

00:02:48,650 --> 00:02:52,550

are now vaccinating

individuals in phase 1B.

68

00:02:52,550 --> 00:02:55,300

That includes moderate

risk healthcare workers,

69

00:02:55,300 --> 00:02:59,510

first responders and

residents age 70 and older.

70

00:02:59,510 --> 00:03:00,870

Frontline essential workers

71

00:03:00,870 --> 00:03:02,600

and essential state government officials

72

00:03:02,600 --> 00:03:06,250

will be eligible for

vaccines beginning March 1st.

73

00:03:06,250 --> 00:03:08,930

Phase two vaccinations

will be administered

74

00:03:08,930 --> 00:03:10,760

later this spring to residents

75

00:03:10,760 --> 00:03:13,330

between the ages of 60 and 69,

76

00:03:13,330 --> 00:03:15,790

higher risk residents

with health complications

77

00:03:15,790 --> 00:03:17,910

ages 16 to 59,

78

00:03:17,910 --> 00:03:20,750

essential workers or

local government officials

79

00:03:20,750 --> 00:03:22,690

not covered in phase 1B

80

00:03:22,690 --> 00:03:24,800

and residents who received a placebo

81

00:03:24,800 --> 00:03:27,490

during the vaccination testing period.

82

00:03:27,490 --> 00:03:30,930

All other residents will

receive vaccines this summer.

83

00:03:30,930 --> 00:03:32,940

You can sign up for email notifications

84

00:03:32,940 --> 00:03:34,870

to learn when vaccinations are available

85

00:03:34,870 --> 00:03:39,870

for your eligibility group

at sjbpublichealth.org.

86

00:03:40,300 --> 00:03:42,830

Thanks for watching this edition

of the Local News Network.

87

00:03:42,830 --> 00:03:44,393

I'm Wendy Graham Settle.

‍