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Valley View, Grand River suspend COVID-19 vaccine wait lists as demand heightens

Garfield County had 2,215 doses through Sunday

Carbondale & Rural Fire Protection District Operations Chief Mike Wagner receives his COVID-19 vaccination at Valley View Hospital recently.
Courtesy CRFPD

Valley View Hospital in Glenwood Springs said Tuesday it is suspending its wait list for the COVID-19 vaccine due to intense demand and a limited supply of the vaccine coming to Garfield County.

Valley View advised in a Tuesday afternoon press release that those who are already on the wait list to receive the vaccine will be contacted when additional doses are available and to schedule an appointment.

Phone messages left after 2 p.m. Tuesday will not be responded to. Anyone who left a message earlier in the day should receive a callback, Valley View spokeswoman Stacey Gavrell said in the release.



“Valley View apologizes for this change,” she said in the release. “The number of vaccines received has been very limited, and Valley View Hospital cannot schedule without additional supplies.

“As Valley View receives more information about vaccine supplies, we will continue to improve our process,” Gavrell said, referring to the hospital website (vvh.org) and its Facebook page for updated information.



Grand River Health in Rifle is in the same holding pattern.

“We are giving out all of our remaining vaccines this week to 230 seniors,” Grand River spokeswoman Annick Pruett said. “We are hoping to hear soon about our vaccine allocations moving forward and are working with our partners at Valley View and Garfield County Public Health to obtain more vaccines to serve our community.”

Garfield County as a whole, as well as neighboring Pitkin County and many other counties across the state, have been dealing with limited vaccine supply after the state last week expanded the first round of vaccines to those age 70 and older.

As of Sunday, the county had received 2,215 doses of the vaccine, including 2,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine and 215 of the Pfizer vaccine, said Carrie Godes, public health specialist for Garfield County.

“Vaccine shipments to counties are still not predictable, and in most cases lower than the numbers needed or ordered, but they are coming,” she said Tuesday.

Currently, the vaccine is only being administered at the county’s two hospitals, Valley View in Glenwood and Grand River Health in Rifle.

“As more vaccine becomes available, more medical providers will be able to become vaccine distribution sites,” Godes said. “Garfield County is still working through the 1A (high-risk health care workers) and those limited 1B categories (moderate-risk health care workers, first responders and people 70 and older) and anticipates those will take several more weeks.”

Godes reiterated that additional appointment times will become available as more vaccine is received.

“However, the process is going to take some time,” she said. “We will need everyone’s patience and cooperation as the hospitals try to vaccinate everyone in the priority groups. It will take several weeks to vaccinate everyone in the 70-plus category.”

jstroud@postindependent.com

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