Amid confusion over Colorado’s vaccination plan, the state Department of Health made it clear Tuesday that vital workers, including teachers, should not be vaccinated against COVID-19 until health workers, first responders and people 70 years and older receive their shots.
The state agency has sent a letter to suppliers to highlight the priority of the vaccine in Colorado, as at least two school districts in the Denver area have announced that they will begin vaccinating teachers as early as next week – the plans, according to the local department of health in the districts must now be discontinued.
It was the latest hiccup in the introduction of the coronavirus vaccine into the state, further complicated by the announcement by the government, Jared Polis, last week that 1.19 million more people would be eligible to be vaccinated earlier than which was originally planned.
“I expect there will definitely be some frustration and confusion, and I do not blame it (schools),” Karen Miller, manager of the immunization nurse at the Tri-County Department of Health, blamed the allocation of errors in the allocation because they do not have clear guidance on how to distribute the vaccines.
“Looking back, it’s always easier to say that we wish we had the guidance when the plan came out, so that these kinds of mistakes don’t happen,” she said. ‘Everyone is so important to the functioning of our society and these are very difficult decisions to make. These are directions and prescriptions that come from our governor’s office and state health department. ”
The Department of Public Health and the Environment in Colorado last week added teachers along with other essential workers and everyone 70 years and older in the pool of people who were shot during the last half of the first phase of distribution, which is expected to take place will receive. the winter. But since Polis’ announcement of the change, there has been little detail on how exactly the state will get the shots in more people’s arms or how these additions will be prioritized.
The logistics of administering the vaccines have mostly been left to local public health officials and other providers, such as hospitals, who are scrambling to respond to the overwhelming demand for the shots as Coloradans eager to get in line flood their phones. The department of health on Tuesday issued further guidelines by lifting ‘vaccine responsibilities’.
Local public health institutions, health systems and other providers face several challenges in the distribution of the vaccines, including the fact that the supply remains extremely limited. Provinces are still vaccinating frontline health workers, such as those who will begin receiving their second doses on Wednesday.
The letter from the Department of Public Health and the Environment said the efforts to vaccinate health workers in the front line are likely to take place on January 15, and based on the current supply of COVID-19 vaccines, officials expect a large part of the next phase – moderate risk health workers and first responders – by 28 February.
The agency also offered a ‘very important goal’ to vaccinate 70% of Coloradans 70 and older by 28 February. Frontline workers, such as teachers and grocery stores, will follow suit, with the vaccination expected to begin in late February or March.
But for older Coloradans whose age puts them more at risk from the virus, there was little explanation as to how they can expect to be vaccinated.
“We are working to announce ways by the end of the week for members of the general public who are 70 years and older to schedule appointments with hospitals and health systems,” wrote Scott Bookman, director of the Disease Division. Public Health Control and Response for the State Health Agency, in Tuesday’s letter to suppliers.
According to Tri-County’s Miller, there is likely to be a multiple approach for Coloradans 70 and older to receive the vaccine. People can possibly get it through their insurance companies, stand-alone or transit clinics, community health centers, urgent care facilities or even pharmacies in King Soopers or Safeway stores, she said.
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
Colorado’s current COVID-19 distribution plan.
School plans are pushed back
The Tri-County Department of Health, which serves the counties of Adams, Arapahoe and Douglas, on Tuesday told its suppliers to stop distributing vaccines to all essential workers under Phase 1B of the state’s development plan until older residents first have access. acquired, Miller said.
This includes doses for at least two metro school systems that plan to vaccinate teachers in the coming weeks.
Nurses in the Cherry Creek School District got their first look at New Year’s Day through a partnership with Centura Health. The district plans to vaccinate social workers, psychologists, paraprofessional specialists and cafeteria workers this week, and next week the vaccination of teachers will begin.
The Douglas County School District will also expect to receive the vaccine from educators and other staff members such as students, such as security staff and bus drivers. It will start as early as this week or next week through a partnership with Centura, according to a note sent to staff.
Kallie Leyba, president of the Douglas County Teachers’ Union, said while it was disappointing to move the timeline back, it was also understandable. Her concerns are ‘the wrong information and wrong communication’.
“Educators and families were very excited that they could be vaccinated much faster and keep their school buildings open with the support of vaccinated staff,” Leyba said. ‘Therefore, there is absolute disappointment for those who work in schools and who have children in school. ”
Abbe Smith, spokesman for Cherry Creek Schools, said the district had not yet heard of any changes to staff access to Centura, but that leaders would review state leadership and make the necessary changes.
Centura is currently working with “at least 10” public districts and private institutions to distribute the COVID-19 vaccines to health care staff at the school, said Shauna Gulley, clinical head. She declined to comment on why some districts promise vaccination to teachers and employees in other positions.
State provides additional data
The Department of Health on Tuesday updated its COVID-19 vaccination panel to provide additional information on the state’s deployment, including how many people are vaccinated each day with Pfizer or Moderna vaccines.
The dashboard does not contain data revealing how many doses the state has received to date, which would reveal the gap between the amount of vaccine available and how much was administered. However, the agency told The Denver Post that the state has so far received 242,192 doses of COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer and Moderna.
This is lower than what the Department of Public Health and Environment expected by last week. Previously, the state health agency said they would have received about 270,170 doses of COVID-19 vaccines last week.
As of Tuesday, 120,510 Coloradans received their first admission of a coronavirus vaccine, although there is a delay in the fact that data is returned to the state, so the number is likely to be higher. Both Pfizer and Moderna vaccines require two doses.
As the supply of the vaccine is limited, public health and medical experts encourage Coloradans to continue wearing masks, washing their hands and doing social distancing.
The state health department said Monday night that providers distributing the vaccine should focus on the groups above what it calls ‘the dotted line’ in Phase 1B on the distribution map, before going to essential front-line workers, such as teachers, grocery workers and postal workers. .
The groups that should be given the first priority under Phase 1B are health professionals with less direct contact with COVID-19 patients, including those in dental and home health care settings; respond first; and people 70 years and older.
Rejection of vaccination responsibilities
The state health department provided more information on how to prioritize the distribution of the vaccine, and issued guidelines on which groups in Phase 1A and 1B certain providers should concentrate on vaccination.
Local public health agencies are being instructed by the state to focus on vaccinating remaining high-risk or moderate-risk health workers and first responders. Other providers, such as hospitals and pharmacies, should focus on delivering shots to people aged 70 and older, according to the state news release.
Staff and residents of long-term care facilities, which are also prioritized in Phase 1A, will be vaccinated by CVS or Walgreens through the federal government’s Pharmacy Partnership for Long-Term Care Program.
The state Department of Public Health and Environment said school nurses are considered a health care provider and are in the early part of 1B. ‘
The providers were told by the health department that they should not distribute the vaccine to essential workers until everyone in the groups above them has been vaccinated, otherwise it could “harm our chances of access to vaccination if we do,” Chana said. Goussetis said. , spokesman for Boulder County Public Health.
“It makes it very difficult for us,” she said of schools like the Cherry Creek district that need early vaccination. “What the state needs to do is hold everyone accountable for prioritization.”
Miller said Tri-County is still completing Phase 1A of vaccine distribution, while also starting Phase 1B. There are about 120,000 residents aged 70 and older in the agency’s coverage area, people who hope to have access to the vaccine within two to three weeks.
“We expect to get through the group by the end of February,” and then school staff will be eligible to receive doses, she said. “It may be a very optimistic estimate, but it is our hope as long as there are sufficient vaccines available in our state.”