JCPH to Open its Vaccination Clinic to Adults Age 70+
Vaccine Quantities Remain Very Limited, but JCPH Hopes to Expand Vaccination to More Jeffco Residents
“We believe we’ve come close to saturation among our Jeffco healthcare workers and first responders — that’s good news, because it means more of our frontline, essential workers are going to be protected against COVID-19 moving forward,” said Christine Billings, Manager of the Office of Pandemic Response at JCPH. “Now, we can begin to make sure that other populations in Jeffco who are vulnerable to the virus, such as adults aged 70 and older, have greater access to the vaccine.”
JCPH will begin offering vaccine in limited quantities to adults 70 and older at our clinic at the Arvada Fire Protection District Training Center, 6651 Indiana Street, beginning on February 3, 2021. This clinic is hosted with support from the Arvada Fire Protection District, Arvada Police Department and volunteers from organizations around the county. The vaccine will also continue to be available to those classified by CDPHE in Phase 1A and 1B.1.
Vaccines will only be available to those who are in these phases, and only by appointment. While these appointments will be available beginning this week, due to the limited nature of the vaccine, appointments are expected to fill quickly. We will continue to offer additional appointments as more vaccine becomes available. Please sign up for an appointment at the JCPH COVID-19 Clinics webpage.
“This announcement from JCPH comes after Gov. Polis announced coming changes to vaccine eligibility,” said Dr. Margaret Huffman, Director of Community Health Services at JCPH. “Though we will only be expanding vaccine availability through JCPH’s clinic to those 70 and older at this time and until further discussion, we are encouraged by the news that more people will be able to get the vaccine soon and we hope the efforts made by our department and within our county will help some of our most vulnerable populations with access.”
In order to get vaccinated, and in addition to falling within one of the eligible phases, individuals will need to meet several qualifications:
- No other vaccines within 14 days
- No COVID-19 symptoms/no positive test within 14 days
- Not be within the 14-day quarantine period for COVID-19 exposure
In addition, there are several key facts about the COVID-19 vaccine that those wishing to be vaccinated need to know and keep in mind:
- The COVID-19 vaccine is a two-part vaccine, and it’s essential to get the second dose within a specific time frame (21 days for the Pfizer vaccine and 28 days for the Moderna vaccine). Unless there are extreme extenuating circumstances, you need to receive your second dose from the same place you received your first dose.
- There are some known side effects to the vaccine, especially the second dose. These include:
- mild fever,
- chills,
- body aches,
- pain and redness at the injection site,
- nausea,
- headache, and
- fatigue for 1-2 days after receiving the vaccine.
- For in-depth information about the side effects of the vaccines, see the CDC’s report on the Pfizer vaccine and the Moderna vaccine.
- More information about the COVID-19 vaccine can be found on both JCPH’s website and CDPHE’s website.
In addition to the expanded vaccination efforts at JCPH, there are many others within Jeffco’s health and medical system who are working hard to vaccinate older adults, including hospitals, primary care providers and pharmacies. If you have been contacted by or have already scheduled a vaccine through one of these channels, please keep your appointment. Please continue to check with these other providers regularly, as vaccine availability will vary by site. Visit CDPHE’s website for a complete listing and sign-up links.
“We’re glad to be able to expand vaccination efforts, but we know this is a long road,” Huffman said. “For everyone who is waiting for their chance to get vaccinated, please know your turn will come. While you’re waiting, you can take comfort in knowing that our most at-risk and vulnerable populations are getting vaccinated in greater numbers every day, which will just get us, as a community, closer to recovery.”
To learn more about the efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19, including vaccination, testing and more, please visit www.jeffco.us/coronavirus. If you are a member of the general public looking for important public health emergency information, including updates about the COVID-19 vaccine, please sign up for “Jeffco COVID-19 Alerts” at https://www.jeffco.us/list.aspx. These alerts are also available in Spanish as “Alertas Jeffco COVID-19 – Español.”
