Colorado Mental Health Institute Pueblo, prison workers mandated to get COVID-19 vaccine

Aug. 19—State prison and Colorado Mental Health Institute employees are being mandated to obtain COVID-19 vaccines.

With 58.7% of Colorado Department of Corrections staff fully vaccinated, state officials are making it mandatory for those who aren't to get their shots.

The vaccines are mandatory for all prison employees who interact with the public, inmates or parolees. Those who visit the prisons as part of their job assignment, such as volunteers or vendors, also will be required to receive the vaccine.

"We are allowing exemptions for medical and religious reasons," said Annie Skinner, public information officer for the DOC.

To date, 64% of the state inmate population is fully vaccinated and another 8% have received their first dose, Skinner said.

The mandate also extends to Colorado Department of Human Services employees at the state hospital in Pueblo. The current vaccination rate for all of human services direct care staff is 77% while 73% of residents and clients are vaccinated.

State officials made the decision this week because the delta variant is increasing COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in the state. Data shows that unvaccinated people are at a higher risk of getting the COVID-19 virus and spreading it to others.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state public health officials agree that the best way to protect Coloradans is for individuals to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

"We have a responsibility to protect the health and safety of our staff and the incarcerated individuals in our custody to the best of our ability," said Dean Williams, executive director for the DOC.

"Some people will say that it is a personal choice whether or not they want to get vaccinated, but it is very difficult to socially distance in congregate settings and inmates do not have a choice regarding where they live and who they come in contact with.

"An individual who can get the vaccine and yet is avoiding it, is potentially putting the lives of the people around them at risk and incarcerated individuals at risk. Our dedicated staff have a responsibility to protect public safety and that includes protecting their loved ones, co-workers, inmates, parolees and communities from this potentially deadly virus," Williams said.

The vaccines are the most powerful tools, "we have to end this pandemic, but it's only effective when people get it," said Jill Hunsaker-Ryan, executive director for the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. "We are continuing to make the vaccine as accessible as possible and more than 3 million Coloradans are already fully vaccinated.

"We simply cannot allow the Delta variant to jeopardize the progress we have achieved in protecting Coloradans."

The delta variant is the most contagious version of COVID-19 reported so far, according to the CDC.

DOC staff members included in the mandate will have until Sept. 30 to receive the first dose of the vaccine and are required to be fully vaccinated by Oct. 31. Human services staff will be fully vaccinated by Nov. 26.

Staff members can either receive their vaccine through clinics hosted by their departments, or through any of the numerous public options around the state or their medical providers.

The Pueblo Chieftain asked what happens if a non-exempt employee does not become fully vaccinated by Oct. 31, but an answer was not provided by the time of publication.

Proof of that vaccination can be obtained with a digital verified vaccine card at mycolorado.state.co.us.

Chieftain reporter Tracy Harmon covers business news. She can be reached by email at tharmon@chieftain.com or via Twitter at twitter.com/tracywumps.

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