Amidst an ongoing surge of hospitalizations and deaths caused by COVID-19, San Juan Basin Public Health (SJBPH) strongly urges all adults to receive a booster dose of vaccine as soon as eligible. All adults should receive a booster dose either six months past finishing an initial two-dose series of Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, or two months past receiving the Johnson & Johnson one-dose vaccine.
Receiving a booster is shown to drastically increase protection from severe illness, and clinics with ample supply of all three vaccine types are widely available in both La Plata and Archuleta counties.
According to State of Colorado data, people who are fully vaccinated and receive a booster are 48 times less likely to be hospitalized than someone who is unvaccinated. Individuals who are fully vaccinated and received a booster shot are 10 times less likely to get COVID-19 than unvaccinated people, and 3 times less likely than people who are vaccinated without a booster.
Intensive care units are near capacity in both La Plata and Archuleta counties and health care is strained across Colorado amidst an ongoing surge in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations driven by the Delta variant. In SJBPH’s jurisdiction, 28% of the total fatalities among COVID-19 cases throughout the pandemic have occurred in the past three months (63% for Archuleta County and 24% for La Plata County).
In Southwest Colorado, more than 90% of COVID-19 hospitalizations have occurred with residents who are not fully vaccinated. Case rates for both counties remain comparable to the highest levels observed at any time during the pandemic, with Archuleta County currently among the highest in Colorado.
With Colorado’s Tier 3 Hospital Transfer Plan in effect, COVID-19 patients can be transferred out of the region and there may be significant delays in transferring patients due to hospital capacity issues or the need for higher levels of care. Infections, severe illness, hospitalizations, and death continue to be highly concentrated among the unvaccinated population and these residents are urged to begin their initial vaccine series as soon as possible.
Chandler Griffin is Communications Director for San Juan Basin Public Health District. SJBPH is a local public health agency, governed by a seven-member local Board of Health, serving all residents of La Plata and Archuleta counties.