San Juan Basin Public Health (SJBPH) is pleased to announce it has surpassed the Federal goal of delivering at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine to the combined adult population of La Plata and Archuleta counties. More than 70% of adults aged 18 and up have started their COVID-19 vaccine series across the SJBPH health district. SJBPH recognizes every community member who has stepped up and gotten vaccinated, and thanks the many volunteers, partner providers, community organizations, and stakeholders for their efforts toward reaching the Biden Administration’s goal.
“Protecting the community and delivering the COVID vaccine continues to be a truly historic effort. Surpassing this key milestone set by the White House is a tremendous achievement that SJBPH shares with volunteers, partners, and the entire community. To be clear, our work is not done, and vaccination is still a top priority,” said Liane Jollon, SJBPH Executive Director. “Unvaccinated residents are at high risk of falling ill with the more transmissible and severe variants that are present in our community. Even if you’ve had COVID previously, you should still get the vaccine which is now convenient and widely available.”
With a portion of the community still unvaccinated, SJBPH will continue to prioritize education, outreach, and vaccine access for individuals who have yet to receive protection or are awaiting eligibility. New vaccination goals are expected from State and Federal officials and local plans are in progress to meet any new benchmarks.
SJBPH emphasizes that with a new school year approximately seven weeks away, time is running out for teens to get protection and be fully vaccinated by the first day of school. 12- to 17-year-olds are only eligible for the Pfizer vaccine, and the two-dose series takes at least five weeks from the first shot for individuals to complete the series and reach maximum immunity. SJBPH is closely tracking Federal and State guidance that would open eligibility for children under 12 and is prepared, alongside partners, to rapidly vaccinate this population when they become eligible.
SJBPH was able to confirm surpassing the Biden Administration goal with the acquisition of additional vaccination datasets from sources independent of the Colorado Immunization Information System (CIIS). Data from CIIS is all that is currently displayed on the SJBPH online data dashboard. SJBPH is awaiting more information that will be needed to integrate and display the new data. SJBPH is also aware of residents who crossed state borders to be vaccinated in other states and is working to investigate and collect this data.
There are numerous vaccine providers in La Plata and Archuleta counties, and SJBPH is now offering clinics six days per week in partnership with Jogan Health. Dates and times for July clinics are listed below. The full schedule of vaccine clinics, pop-ups, and mobile clinics is available online with convenient dates and times available across both counties:
Archuleta County
Pagosa Springs High School, 800 S. 8th St, Pagosa Springs
Thursdays, 11:00am to 3:00pm
East Side Market and Pagosa Farmers Market, 225 E Pagosa St, Pagosa Springs
Fridays, 10:00am to 2:00pm
Saturdays, 9:00am to 1:00pm
Sundays, 10:00am to 2:00pm
Pagosa Peak Open School, 7 Parelli Way, Pagosa Springs
Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 11:00am to 3:00pm
TARA Community Center, 333 Milton Lane, Arboles
July 10th, 9:00am to 12:00pm
La Plata County
Fort Lewis College Student Life Center, 125 West Campus Court, Durango
*Monday through Friday, 11:00am to 6:00pm
Saturdays, 10:00am to 3:00pm
La Plata County Fairgrounds, 2500 Main Ave, Durango
July 2nd, 23rd, 30th, 10:00am to 2:00pm
Animas Valley Grange, 7271 CR 203, Durango
July 2nd, 23rd, 4:00pm to 8:00pm
Durango Farmers Market, 259 W 9th St, Durango
Saturdays, 8:00am to 12:00pm
Manna Soup Kitchen, 1100 Avenida del Sol, Durango
Thursdays, 9:00am to 11:00am
Forest Lakes Community Center, 998 Alpine Forest Dr, Bayfield
July 10th, 9:00am to 12:00pm
Durango Flea Market, 2500 Main Ave, Durango
Sundays, 8:00am to 12:00pm
*No FLC clinic on 7/5 in observance of the July 4th holiday.
Although advance registration is preferred, walk-ins are also welcome at upcoming clinics. The vaccine is free, and no ID is required. Additional clinics and information about the COVID vaccine can be found on SJBPH’s website.
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