As of Tuesday, roughly 3,222 people in Montezuma County have received the first dose of the coronavirus vaccine, according to the Montezuma County Public Health Department.
About 823 have received a second dose, completing their vaccination.
While those 70 and older continue to be prioritized, Gov. Jared Polis announced Friday that the state will begin vaccinating educators and people 65 and older as early as Feb. 8. Entities administering the vaccine in Montezuma County include the Montezuma County Public Health Department, Southwest Health System, Axis Health System, City Market, Safeway and Walgreens.
As more people are vaccinated for COVID-19, it would help if they alerted the different health providers where they have lined up for an appointment to let them know they have obtained shots elsewhere.
“People get on multiple lists, and that’s fine, but once you get the vaccine, alert the other entities where you’ve signed up that you don’t need the vaccine,” said Bobbi Lock, director of the Montezuma County Public Health Department.
Communicating vaccination status would aid various providers as they plan to distribute their available doses, she said.
Last week, in an update to Montezuma County commissioners, Lock noted that providers were working with limited information on the supply of the vaccine.
“You don’t know exactly how many doses you’ll get. That’s what makes it hard to plan,” Lock said.
From Jan. 18 to Jan. 24, the county Public Health Department estimates the number of vaccinations administered in Montezuma County by all providers at 602 first doses and 247 second doses.
Southwest Health System, which operates Southwest Memorial Hospital, is one of the major providers of the vaccine. As of Monday, Southwest has given 1,576 people their first shot, and 739 have been given their second.
“This is a major exercise in flexibility and thinking outside the box. It’s pretty amazing what they’re able to accomplish,” said SHS executive assistant Bridgett Jabour.
SHS, depending on supply, hopes to administer approximately 1,000 first doses next week, as well as 700 second shots.
The county will be updating its vaccination totals on its website and Facebook pages every Tuesday.
anicotera@the-journal.comPatrick Armijo contributed to this article.
