COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Update

January 19, 2021

A Message from the Auraria Executives Council

As we start the spring semester, we want to update you with the latest information on the COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan for affiliates of the Auraria campus. 

In late December, we announced that the Health Center at Auraria would be a Point of Dispensing (POD) for the COVID-19 vaccine. At that time, we had little information on how we would specifically distribute the vaccine to our campus community. While many details are still in development, we are pleased to share that our campus vaccine drive-through distribution site at the Fifth Street Garage will open soon, possibly as early as this week. 

While we are all eager to know when vaccinations will begin, we do not yet have precise dates to share. We want to assure you that when these vaccines become available to the Auraria campus, individuals within the designated priority groups will be notified in a timely fashion. We will follow the state’s priority guidelines for vaccine distribution, beginning with Phase 1B. This includes current campus-affiliated students and employees who are 70 years of age and older, Auraria Campus Police, Emergency Management staff, and Health Center at Auraria personnel and its custodial staff.

People in Phase 1B will receive an invitation via email from COVIDCheck Colorado to schedule their free vaccination. We expect this to occur within the next two weeks. If, in the meantime, you have vaccine access through your healthcare provider or another community option, we encourage you to take the earliest opportunity to be vaccinated. We expect the Auraria POD distribution process will likely extend into the fall semester as we follow state priority guidelines of vaccinating Phase 1 (Winter), Phase 2 (Spring) and Phase 3 (Summer).

In our last communication, we asked you to send us your questions on campus vaccine distribution. We want to thank you for your participation—your questions helped inform us of your key areas of interest. We have answered frequently asked questions (FAQs) on the Health Center at Auraria website.

Many of you asked: Which vaccine will you provide? We expect to have access to the Moderna vaccine, which the U.S. Food and Drug Administration found nearly 95% effective in preventing serious COVID-19 disease in adults. We may receive other federally authorized vaccines in the future.

While there is still much unknown, we find comfort knowing our POD site will be up and running soon and we commit to keeping you informed as more information becomes available. Even as members of our community get vaccinated, it’s important that everyone, including those immunized, continue to wear face coverings, practice social distancing, avoid large gatherings and follow other public health guidance.

Thank you for your patience and perseverance during these times. Please stay safe.


Michelle Marks, Ph.D., Chancellor
University of Colorado Denver     

Marielena DeSanctis, Ph.D., President                    
Community College of Denver                                 

Janine Davidson, Ph.D., President                               
Metropolitan State University of Denver            
                 
Colleen Walker, Chief Executive Officer                             
Auraria Higher Education Center

CMS Login