As cases of COVID surge in Boulder County, the University of Colorado Boulder said on Tuesday that students and staff will be required to have a booster shot.
“To further safeguard our community, we are implementing a new COVID-19 vaccine booster requirement. Vaccinations continue to provide the best defense against serious illness and hospitalization––and boosters provide significant additional protection for all of us, according to our own researchers and scientists and other public health experts,” the university wrote in an email to students, faculty and staff.
Everyone on campus will be required to receive a vaccine booster by Feb. 24 “or five months after receiving the final dose of the original series, whichever is later,” the email stated. Exemption rules will be in effect like they were with the original vaccinations against COVID-19. CU officials said more than 92% of students and staff in Boulder got vaccinations.
Free booster shots will be given out at CU’s Wardenburg Health Center.
CU’s email described the coronavirus numbers in Boulder County as follows:
The seven-day cumulative number of new cases per 100,000 residents in Boulder County skyrocketed from fewer than 200 to more than 900 during the past two weeks, and positivity rates during the period rose from less than 5% to more than 20%.
In-person learning resumes later this month in Boulder after a delay due to the omicron surge and the effects from the devastating Marshall Fire. That’s scheduled to begin on Jan. 24.
Safeguarding our campus and the broader Colorado community during a COVID-19 surge aligns with our mission and values as a public university.
To further safeguard our community, we are implementing a new COVID-19 vaccine booster requirement.
More Info ➡ https://t.co/15Ihfk2phN pic.twitter.com/q5KKYUIORl— CU Boulder (@CUBoulder) January 11, 2022
CU isn’t the first college in Colorado to require boosters. Regis University and Colorado State University also have a booster requirement in place.
After Announcement Of National Blood Crisis, Vitalant Encourages Donation In Colorado
Following the announcement by the American Red Cross that there is a national blood supply crisis, Vitalant is seeking more blood donors in Colorado. They are encouraging Coloradans to contact them and make appointments.
Representatives from the blood bank told CBS4 on Tuesday that they have been forced to cancel more than 500 blood drives during the COVID-19 pandemic.
It’s serious. There is a national blood and platelet shortage as the blood supply faces a historic, two-year-low, including type O, the most transfused blood type and critical during emergencies. Schedule now: https://t.co/Fvu1uvTmjj pic.twitter.com/KChsnOyWU3
— Vitalant (@vitalant) January 10, 2022
They sent out a tweet on Monday saying “It’s serious. There is a national blood and platelet shortage as the blood supply faces a historic, two-year-low, including type O, the most transfused blood type and critical during emergencies.”
In addition to visiting Vitalant’s website, you can call 877-25-VITAL if you’d like to help others and give blood.
