COVID-19 General Colorado Thread (Loveland, Golden: rental car, hotel, rich)

[COcheesehead]

I was able to get it in Mesa County last week though I am 58. I work time time at a Palisade winery and the county made the vaccine available to hospitality workers.
I got the J&J with minimal side effects. I had a slight headache the next day and a bit of fatigue.
I was part of a large group getting shots at the Grand Junction convention center. I was in and out in 20 minutes and that included a 15 minute observation period after the shot. Very well organized and administered.
I am registered with the CDC and they send me follow up evaluations daily to check on progress or side effects.

If you get the shot, take a picture of your vaccine card and keep it in a safe place. They told me I may need it to fly. I know folks who have lost theirs already.

[TigerLily24]

Originally Posted by BarryK123

The odd thing is I know several people in the 60+ category who have been unable to obtain appointments for the vaccine (myself not included).

60+ here.
I was able to make appointments yesterday through UCHealth. Non-members can sign up on their website to be alerted when appointments become available.
Some co-workers not yet in that age group but eligible because we are essential workers (animal hospital), have gotten appointments through Walmart.

[otowi]

The governor is saying everyone should be able to get a vaccine come mid-April.

[brightdoglover]

67 here. I got my Moderna at the Montrose Hospital for being over 65 and was on their volunteer list from mini-horse therapy visits pre-COVID. The day after, my health care provider called and said they had vaccines for 65+ and then it was my county, which I had already told that I was all set. Second shot at the hospital this Tuesday. I am very grateful.

[otowi]

I am 46 and got my second dose last weekend. I was able to get it due to being a frontline k-12 educator. UCHealth Pfizer is what I got and was very quick and smooth in my local area. Very glad to have it.

[WinterJo]

My husband got his second shot last Friday. I think my oldest daughter and I will be eligible as of next Friday. I hope so.

[emm74]

Originally Posted by otowi

The governor is saying everyone should be able to get a vaccine come mid-April.

Should be *eligible* to get a vaccine. The group that starts in 5 days is about 2.5 million people. It's going to take time to work through the logistics of administering the shot(s) to those who want them and that's not even taking into consideration opening up access to everyone 16 and over.

It will likely be quite a while beyond mid-April before all those who want to get the vaccine have been able to receive it. That doesn't mean Polis wasn't being truthful, just that the reality is that it take time to get the shots administered.

I've gotten my first shot, and go back again in a couple of weeks for the next one. But I am eagerly anticipating when my teen can get his, and I will finally have a sense of relief about the ability to resume many activities that have been put off for a year now.

[otowi]

Originally Posted by emm74

Should be *eligible* to get a vaccine.

Yes of course, no one thinks everyone will instantly be vaccinated come tax day. But they've ramped up capacity a lot so they're able to vaccinate more people each day than they could a month ago, and they'll be able to do more a month from now than they can today. Thus, the rate of vaccination is able to increase beyond what it currently is. It is not unreasonable for most Coloradans to be vaccinated by summer if they want the vaccine.

[maciesmom]

Originally Posted by BarryK123

The odd thing is I know several people in the 60+ category who have been unable to obtain appointments for the vaccine (myself not included).

My husband got in fairly quickly via general sign up on HealthOne website. Not the closest to us but not too far. I have coworkers who have signed up in more rural locales where there are presumably larger numbers of vaccine aversion.

[Vision67]

As vaccinations flow, fewer older Coloradans are getting sick and dying of COVID

https://gazette.com/news/as-vaccinat...50002e43d.html

"With the bulk of Coloradans over 75 and residents of long-term care centers vaccinated, the number of cases and deaths among that group has dropped in recent weeks, state health department statistics show.

Thirty-seven Coloradans 75 and older died of the virus in the first week of February. Twenty-seven more died the following week. That number fell to nine deaths in the last week of February, then to eight in the first week of March. Last week, there were fewer than five deaths among those 75 and older.

Bob Murphy, the director for AARP in Colorado, said he was relieved to see a decline.

“We are thrilled that the vaccine appears to be working in our most vulnerable, older adults and that these ghastly statistics are starting to decline," Murphy said.

Those 75 and older account for more than 60% of the COVID deaths in Colorado, and had the highest number of hospitalizations. Long-term care facilities in particular have been hammered by outbreaks over the past year.

Those 70 and older were given vaccination priority in February, and the group is now approaching the 80% mark for inoculations, state statistics show.

Long-term care facilities were the subject of a separate, federal vaccination push. The state says 88% of those residents have been inoculated.

The vaccination programs have cut the number of older Colorado residents battling the virus and the number of fatalities in that demographic.

In the first week of February, 350 people 75 and older were infected with the virus. A month later, that had fallen to 147 cases. Last week, it fell to 122 cases.

For long term care centers, there were 10 COVID deaths among residents in early February. For the past three weeks, there have been fewer than five.

The number of outbreaks in nursing homes and assisted-living facilities plummeted in recent weeks. Last Wednesday, there were 34 nursing home outbreaks, plus 18 clusters in assisted-living facilities. In mid-January, there were 136 nursing home coronavirus outbreaks, along with 137 clusters of the virus in assisted-living facilities.

At a news conference Tuesday, Jon Samet, the dean of the Colorado School of Public Health, said that 80% of those 65 and older have received at least one vaccine dose. Roughly half of that group is immune to the virus, either from vaccines or a prior infection.

“We are starting to see the consequences, the beneficial consequences, of vaccinations in older Coloradans,” he said.

Rachel Herlihy, the state’s epidemiologist who spoke with Samet on Tuesday, pointed to data showing that cases among older Coloradans were falling at a faster rate than the state overall.

“We’re continuing to see a greater benefit and less disease transmission occurring among that 70-plus year old population,” she said,

She said with vaccinations ongoing, the full impact for older residents hasn't been felt.

AARP's Murphy said that improving statistics don't lessen the the terrible impact the virus has already had on the state's most vulnerable residents.

"We still did lose 88 people in nursing homes in the four weeks ending Feb. 14," he said. "It does continue. I don’t want to lose sight of that.”"