First COVID-19 Vaccines Administered in Colorado

Gov. Polis, State Officials Welcomed Vaccine Shipment today

DENVER -   This afternoon, Governor Jared Polis joined frontline health care workers as they received the first doses of the vaccine in the state in Fort Collins. Frontline health care workers in Colorado Springs also received doses of the vaccine today.  

“A renewed hope arrived today in Colorado through this miracle of science. I was proud to stand with our frontline health care workers as they received the vaccine that will help end this crisis. The Coloradans who received the vaccine today are medical heroes and have been on the frontlines of the fight against COVID-19 and treating the loved ones, friends, and family members of our fellow Coloradans who have contracted this deadly virus,” said Governor Jared Polis. “We are still in this fight against the virus as we await vaccines for all Coloradans so we need to continue wearing our masks, social distancing, and avoiding spending time with individuals outside of our immediate households.”

Kevin Londrigan, a respiratory therapist at UCHealth Medical Center of the Rockies in Loveland was the first Coloradan to receive the vaccine. Other vaccine recipients included: Daphne Dubach, a registered nurse on the medical-surgical unit at UC Health Poudre Valley Hospital in Fort Collins; Kelly Shaul, a registered nurse on the intensive care unit at UCHealth Greeley Hospital; Dr. Diana Breyer, a physician who specializes in critical care and pulmonology and UCHealth’s chief quality officer in northern Colorado; and Nelly Eckhardt, an environmental services technician at UCHealth Medical Center of the Rockies in Loveland. 

Frontline health care workers at Memorial Hospital in Colorado Springs also received the vaccine today. Jeremy Hulsker was the first to receive the vaccine and has worked in the emergency department at UCHealth Memorial Central for twelve years, five years as a tech and seven as a registered nurse, and has been a charge nurse for the past five years. Cindy Ramberg, a vaccine recipient, recently celebrated 22 years at Memorial Hospital all of which have been spent in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Finally, Dr. Jason Murphy, an emergency medicine physician, who also holds a master’s degree in public health and who has treated COVID-19 patients throughout the pandemic, received the vaccine.

Three facilities reported administering 133 doses of the vaccine today. Deliveries of the vaccine will continue on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week to the remaining 21 vaccine recipient sites. The State lab received 975 doses, UCHealth Poudre Valley received 3900 doses and Memorial Hospital in Colorado Springs received 3900. Photos courtesy of UC Health Poudre Valley Hospital can be found here.

Earlier today, the state of Colorado received its first shipments of the COVID-19 vaccine. Governor Jared Polis personally signed for and received the shipment of the vaccine at the State Lab in Denver. The Governor was joined this morning at the facility by Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) staff, CDPHE incident commander Scott Bookman, Dr. Rachel Herlihy, State of Colorado Lead Epidemiologist, and Brigadier General Scott Sherman, Dir. of Joint Vaccine Task Force and the Colorado National Guard. Over the weekend, Gov. Polis urged Colorado hospitals to administer the COVID-19 vaccination within 72 hours of receiving the vaccine.