Almost 2,000 county residents receive first COVID-19 vaccine shot

More than one month after COVID-19 vaccines were made available, approximately 12 percent of San Juan County’s 14,800 residents have received the first shot of the vaccine.

Through February 2, a total of 1,810 residents have received the first dose of the vaccine, with about 1,000 receiving their second shot.

Utah Navajo Health System (UNHS) gave out over 600 second shots through drive- thru clinics last week.

While the county jumped out to a good start, San Juan Public Health is currently receiving just 100 additional doses of the vaccine per week. UNHS does not have an outlook for when they will receive additional doses of the vaccine.

Prioritization is currently being given to residents over the age of 70. The county encourages senior citizens to reach out to contact their local senior center or the county aging services to schedule vaccine appointments.

The telephone number for the Blanding Senior Center is 435-459-3179, the Bluff Senior Center is 435-672-2390, the La Sal Senior Center is 435-686-9990, the Monticello Senior Center is 435-459-2656, and the San Juan County Director of Aging is at 435-587-3225.

Eventually, an online portal will allow residents to schedule their vaccination. County officials encourage the public to check out SanJuanPublicHealth.org/COVID-19

The approved COVID-19 vaccines in the United States come from Moderna and Pfizer.

In studies, both vaccines have proven to be 95 percent effective at preventing those who receive the vaccine from becoming ill.

Both vaccines are administered in two doses. The Pfizer vaccine’s second shot, or booster, must come at least 21 days after receiving the first shot. The Moderna vaccine second shot should be within at least 28 days.

As of February 2, there were 199 active cases of COVID-19 in San Juan County and 36 residents who died with the disease.