State officials discuss COVID-19 vaccine distribution

Gov. Jared Polis and state officials discussed the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine and provided an update on the response to the pandemic Wednesday, Dec. 9.

Polis was joined by Scott Bookman, incident commander for the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment; Brigadier General Scott Sherman, director of Joint Vaccine Task Force, Colorado National Guard; and Joni Reynolds, Gunnison County Public Health director.

“The focus of this plan is to save lives and end the crisis as soon as possible. Which means prioritizing our most at-risk health care workers and individuals. Our state has been carefully planning this process, working closely with local public health agencies and engaging with providers and communities to prepare for the day when the vaccine would be approved for distribution and arrive in Colorado,” said Polis.

“This vaccine is the gateway to a life without this crisis,” he continued, “but it will take time until everyone can access it because of the limited supply of vaccines so we must continue to do what we know works to slow the spread of the virus.”

Bookman and Sherman discussed vaccine distribution phases, and Reynolds provided local public health perspective on vaccine distribution and education.

Colorado is about 1.69% of the population of the U.S., and each week the state is expecting to receive 1.69% of the available vaccines. It will take careful planning and time to vaccinate Colorado’s nearly 6 million people. From a nationwide and worldwide perspective, distributing the COVID-19 vaccine is one of the biggest undertakings in history.

The majority of Phase 1 early recipients of the vaccine will receive it through their employer, local public health agency or through the federal Pharmacy Partnership for Long-term Care program if they are residents of a long-term care center.

More information about provider settings and options for Phase 2 and 3 recipients will be coming soon, and the timeline is subject to change based on the supply chain. Prioritization is subject to change based on data, science and availability.

Currently, Phase 1 is divided into two parts, 1A and 1B, both set for this winter. In 1A, vaccine prioritization focuses on highest-risk health care workers and individuals who:

— Have direct contact with COVID-19 patients for 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period.

— Are long-term care facility staff and residents.

In 1B, vaccine prioritization focuses on moderate-risk health care workers and individuals who:

— Are health care workers with less direct contact with COVID-19 patients.

— Are workers in home health/hospice and dental settings.

— Are EMS, firefighters, police, correctional workers, dispatchers, funeral service workers, other first responders and COVID-19 response personnel.

Phase 2 is scheduled for the spring. Prioritization focuses on higher-risk individuals and essential workers and people who:

— Are 65 or older.

— Are of any age with obesity, diabetes, chronic lung disease, significant heart disease, chronic kidney disease, cancer or are immunocompromised.

— Interact directly with the public at work, such as grocery store workers and school staff.

— Work in high-density settings like farms and meat-packing plants.

— Are workers serving people who live in high-density settings.

— Are other health care workers not covered in Phase 1.

— Are adults who received a placebo during a COVID-19 vaccine clinical trial.

Phase 3 is scheduled for the summer, when vaccination is expected to be open to the general public, anyone 18-64 without high-risk conditions.

Additionally, last week, the Colorado Unified Coordination Center completed an exercise to test its ability to deliver the COVID-19 vaccine to a distribution facility from Denver International Airport.

In a four-hour end-to-end exercise, the Pfizer vaccine arrived at DIA where it was loaded onto a secure vehicle and driven to Vail Health, one of several distribution centers across the state. The training allowed simultaneous trainings to take place:

— Colorado Unified Coordination Center, CDPHE and Colorado Department of Public Safety staff focused on the hand-to-hand transport of the vaccine, experiencing each logistical milestone.

— The Unified Coordination Center conducted a tabletop exercise to game out problematic scenarios such as disruptions to transportation routes.

For more information, visit https://covid19.colorado.gov/vaccine.

For frequently asked questions, visit https://covid19.colorado.gov/vaccine-faq.

To watch the presentation, visit https://security-us.mimecast.com/ttpwp#/checking?key=bWlrZWJAbmNoZC5vcmd8cmVxLWY1YzgzNDFkMTQyNDM3YjE3OTY0NTBkOTU4YWVkNDk4.

To watch the press conference, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ysgwo4OBHA&feature=emb_title.