Mesa County Public Health (MCPH) continues to work with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) on a vaccination plan for COVID-19. Mesa County now has supply of both the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines. A majority of the 975 doses delivered last week have been administered by local hospitals to their staff.
The distribution plan prioritizes groups of people who are most likely to get COVID-19. Front-line health care workers, for example, need to receive vaccines so they are able to care for patients who get sick. Priority is given next to people at higher risk because of their age, underlying health conditions, if their job requires frequent contact with the public, and those who live in shared living situations where COVID-19 can spread easily. The general public will receive the vaccine after these priority groups. Using this phased approach, we can slow the spread of the virus and keep more Mesa County residents safe.
The initial supply of COVID-19 vaccines is expected to be very limited for several months. This means that a vaccine will not be immediately available to everyone. MCPH is preparing for future widespread distribution and is creating a robust plan for when vaccines are more readily available. Community partners are providing essential data so we can allocate the vaccine in the most precise way possible. This will ensure we are able to vaccinate the maximum number of residents with no doses going to waste.
In Mesa County 35 sites have signed up to distribute vaccines, including local pharmacies, health care provider offices, and hospitals. In addition, the MCPH Clinic will stock and have vaccine available for distribution as outlined in the phases.
MCPH is currently distributing vaccine to partners eligible during Phase 1A. Once that is complete we will move into subsequent phases. The timeframe is subject to change and depends on a variety of factors, but is currently outlined as follows:
*Timeline subject to change based on the supply chain. Prioritization subject to change based on data, science, availability.
Mesa County Public Health has created a resource to help you plan for when you might be eligible to get a vaccine. Visit our website for a full list of where certain industries fall within the prioritization list.
Residents are encouraged to frequently visit health.mesacounty.us for updates to the vaccination plan. The website also includes useful links for providers administering the vaccine.