Focus on vaccines, hope, and health

朱莉·埃斯特利克

一年前，第一例COVID-19病毒病例彻底改变了科罗拉多州北部的生活，并带来了压力和困难, 情况正在好转. Vaccines have arrived to protect people from serious illness and death, along with a plan by state leaders to inoculate everyone who wants it by summer. Businesses and schools in Larimer County are reopening to serve more people. 但我们还不能放松警惕:与去年大部分时间相比，COVID在当地仍然更为普遍. 而且越来越多的新冠病毒变种病例的传播速度比原病毒快.

根据疾病控制和预防中心(CDC)的数据，COVID导致的美国人死亡人数是流感季节平均人数的15倍。, 包括在 6,200 deaths attributed to COVID-19 in Colorado. 然而, 增加测试, maintaining public safety precautions, 现在，疫苗接种已经帮助减缓了疫情在我们州的传播，并大大减少了需要住院治疗的人数.

2021年春季 feels like a chance at renewal—but only if we play our cards right. 现在每个人都能做的最重要的事情是保护你的家人，让我们更安全，限制更少，轮到你时预约接种COVID-19疫苗, 吉尔·汉萨克·瑞安说, executive director of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE).

“We are suggesting that when offered the opportunity to receive a vaccine, people take it and do not wait. COVID-19 can become a serious illness and the sooner people can begin to be protected, 更好的,亨萨克·瑞安说. And don’t worry about the brand of vaccine, 因为目前可用的所有三种疫苗都已被证明对COVID引起的严重疾病和死亡非常有效, 她补充说.

Coloradans seem to be listening. 4月3日，结束 2.700万年 cumulative doses have been administered to residents, including nearly 1.100万年 people who are fully immunized, according to CDPHE. 在拉里默县，完毕 191,000 截至4月3日，已由多家供应商通过预约和社区诊所提供疫苗.

These are positive trends because while the coronavirus is still very much with us, 许多健康专家认为，隧道尽头的光明照亮了一个人们将再次面对面社交的世界, more people will return to the workplace, and we can begin reassembling our lives.

Once you are fully vaccinated, 在室内与同样接种了疫苗或风险较低的人会面是安全的，不戴口罩或保持社交距离, 根据疾控中心. 接种疫苗后，身体通常需要两周的时间来建立对导致COVID-19的病毒的保护. 这意味着一个人仍然有可能在接种疫苗之前或之后感染病毒，然后生病，因为疫苗没有足够的时间提供保护. 人们在接种第二剂辉瑞或Moderna疫苗两周后被认为是完全受保护的, or two weeks after receiving the single-dose Johnson & 约翰逊/詹森疫苗.

接种疫苗可以让你自由地重新联系你的支持网络，增加社会互动, things that are vital to our emotional well-being, says Health District Medical Director Dr. 詹姆斯·斯图尔特. “Your comfort around risk is a personal decision, but once you get the vaccine you can start to think about planning that trip, visiting family and friends, 外出就餐, and returning to a life less restricted.”

This means that grandparents can finally hug their grandkids, and friends can once again see one another’s smile while playing a favorite game, 分享一顿饭, 或者只是赶上. Nursing home residents can hold hands with family members, glass windows and doors no longer separating them. 在封锁对我们的集体心理健康造成严重影响之后，各个年龄段的人都会感到多么大的宽慰啊.

打针

要知道三件事:

1. The vaccine is free for everyone.
2. Most providers require appointments or registration for mass vaccine events. Don’t expect to just walk in/drive up and get your shot.
3. Transportation to and from your vaccination is available. 与您将看到的拍摄提供商联系，以连接可用的乘车服务.

你的第一步是在拉里默县卫生局注册，这样你就可以得到当地疫苗提供者的通知，当你有资格根据州的分发阶段进行预约. The form is online and can be found on 此外.org by clicking on the COVID-19 tabs at the top of the screen. You can call for help completing the form at 970-498-5500 weekdays 9 a.m.– 4:30 p.m.

Check with your employer to see if they are coordinating clinics for staff. 如果不是, large health systems—UCHealth, 班纳健康中心, 和凯撒永久医疗机构都在为公众接种疫苗，无论你是否是他们医疗系统的现有病人, but you must sign up online and wait to be invited to schedule an appointment. If you are unable to use the UCHealth online portal, call 720-462-2255 to be added to their notification list.

包括柯林斯堡的Salud家庭健康和洛夫兰的Sunrise社区健康在内的社区诊所正在接受在线注册, 拉里默县的一些Safeway和King Soopers药店也在网上安排预约. 科罗拉多州的一些沃尔玛和山姆会员药店也在预约接种疫苗, 所以请查看他们的网站.

Don’t panic if you don’t get an appointment right away. 科罗拉多州的疫苗供应仍然有限，目前还没有足够的疫苗供所有符合条件并想要接种的人使用. It’s typical to be on a list for a few weeks before an appointment becomes available. 国家领导人强调要有耐心，随着供应每周增加，每个人都会接种疫苗.

疫苗股本

Concerns over lower vaccination rates among people of certain populations, such as people of color and rural areas, are being addressed by state and local public health leaders, 当地社区, 以及北科罗拉多健康权益组织，如女王遗产基金会和
BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) Alliance. Community and health representatives are working together to answer questions, 建立信任, and plan special vaccine clinics. 网上博彩澳门银河不仅在其布里斯托孔办事处设有特别诊所，而且还参与其中, but also at more convenient sites such as churches, and in communities like Red Feather Lakes.

“Our philosophy is ‘no one is left behind’,” says Hunsaker Ryan. 科罗拉多州已经承诺将10%的疫苗提供给社区临时诊所，在那里，州政府与教堂或当地非营利组织合作，在人们可能很难接种疫苗的地方. 疫苗也被送到“疫苗沙漠”的药店，这些地方缺乏医疗服务提供者，但附近有沃尔格林药房，药剂师可以在那里注射疫苗.”

保护你+我

Although COVID-19 vaccines are effective at keeping you from getting sick, 科学家们仍在研究疫苗能在多大程度上防止导致COVID-19的病毒传播给他人, even if you do not have symptoms. 疾病预防控制中心的早期数据显示，疫苗确实有助于防止没有症状的人传播COVID-19, but we are learning more as more people get vaccinated.

科学家和医学专家还在研究疫苗能保护人们多久. And remember that while the vaccine is helping slow the spread of the virus, 实现社区免疫还需要一段时间，这样那些不能接种疫苗的人就能安全地恢复公共活动.

出于这些原因, 已全面接种疫苗的人士在公共场所应继续采取预防措施，遵循3w:戴口罩, 注意距离(与他人保持至少6英尺的距离)，同时避免人群和通风不良的地方, 经常洗手.  

结局就在眼前! Some state residents are already fully immunized, 如果联邦疫苗供应如预期的那样继续下去，大多数16岁及以上的人应该在夏末接种疫苗. After more than a year of isolation, 取消, 和损失, celebrating a return to everyday routines will be worth the wait.