Vaccine Notifications Launched For Boulder County Residents

BOULDER COUNTY, CO — A COVID-19 vaccine notification system has been launched for Boulder County residents, public health officials announced Monday.

Residents who would like to be notified about where and when to get their vaccine when it becomes available for their priority group are invited to complete the COVID-19 Vaccine Notification Sign-Up.

In a move that Boulder County public health officials call "unexpected," Gov. Jared Polis announced Wednesday that Coloradans ages 70 and older and other groups have shifted into Phase 1B of the state's vaccine distribution plan.

Phase 1B now includes the following groups:

• Educators and daycare staff
• Food and agriculture workers
• Manufacturing
• U.S. Postal Service
• Public Transit and specialized transportation personnel
• Grocery workers
• Public Health workers
• Direct care providers for Coloradans experiencing homelessness
• Essential personnel for the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government
• Frontline journalists

“There is now a dotted line separating 1B workers, with individuals 70 and older above the dotted line and frontline essential workers below the dotted line,” said Indira Gujral, communicable disease and emergency management division manager.

“State health is telling us that all vaccine providers need to focus on the 1B group above the dotted line before they can move to the populations identified below the dotted line, this means that teachers and other frontline workers in transportation, grocery stores, etc. will be next after we provide the vaccine to the nearly 30,000 residents who are 70 years of age and older.”

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Phase 1B previously only included health care workers who don't have direct contact with COVID-19 patents, first responders, hospice and home health employees.

“We are working with our hospitals, outpatient healthcare providers, and local pharmacies to develop a multi-pronged strategy to get people vaccinated,” said Chris Campbell, Boulder County public health emergency manager.

The change in prioritization increases the number of people eligible to receive the vaccine in the first phase but does not include an increase in the supply of vaccine, health officials said. Because vaccine supply continues to be limited, it will be many months before all individuals in Phase I have the opportunity to receive the vaccine.

“We have already received hundreds of emails and phone calls from residents asking for vaccines,” said Chana Goussetis, Boulder County public health spokesperson.

“We are delighted that so many people would like to get the vaccine! We ask for your patience as additional vaccine doses become available and we identify resources to provide the additional doses.”

Dozens of Colorado counties, including Boulder County, shifted Monday from 'Level Red' on the state's COVID-19 dial to 'Level Orange'— a move that will allow restaurants to reopen indoor dining in a limited capacity.

“We have some concerns about this move because we don’t yet know what the outcome of the holidays will be in terms of spread and new cases,” said Jeff Zayach, Boulder County public health executive director.

“But we will follow the state’s move and will not put a local public health order in place. Hopefully, we’ve all only been spending time with our own household and we won’t experience another surge in a week or two.”

Read also:

Boulder County Moves From Level Red To Orange: What Will Change