Public Health Agency

Announcements

Gilpin County's 2024-2028 Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP)

Gilpin County’s Community Health Improvement Plan was accepted at the Gilpin County Board of Health meeting on Thursday, March 7, 2024. This plan includes background on Gilpin County including results of community surveys, focus groups, and interviews to inform the priorities for 2024-2028. Six Health Priorities for the years 2024-2028 are outlined in this plan:

• Radon awareness and mitigation
• Tobacco and nicotine addiction
• Safe drinking water
• Behavioral health
• Communicable disease prevention
• Environmental contamination (septic systems and lead)

This document will be updated annually to reflect the new objectives and strategies for each year within these six health priorities. Read the full plan.

Respiratory Virus Guidance Update

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently released updated guidance outlining best practices for handling common respiratory viruses, including for COVID-19, Flu, and RSV. These recommendations are in response to the availability of better, more effective tools for protection and treatment of these viruses, and work to protect our communities and those most at risk for severe illness. 

As part of the guidance, CDC provides active recommendations on core prevention strategies:
•    Staying up to date with vaccination to protect people against serious illness, hospitalization, and death. This includes flu, COVID-19, and RSV if eligible. 
•    Practicing good hygiene by covering coughs and sneezes, washing or sanitizing hands often, and cleaning frequently touched surfaces. 
•    Taking steps for cleaner air, such as bringing in more fresh outside air, purifying indoor air, or gathering outdoors.

CDC’s first recommendation for people who get sick with a respiratory virus is simple: Stay home and away from others.

Updated COVID-19 recommendations include: 
•    Returning to normal activities when symptoms have been getting better overall for 24 hours, and if a fever was present, it has been gone for 24 hours without use of a fever-reducing medication. 
•    Once people resume normal activities, they are encouraged to take precaution for the next 5 days to curb disease spread, such as: 
     o    Taking more steps for cleaner air, 
     o    Enhancing hygiene practices, 
     o    Wearing a well-fitting mask, 
     o    Keeping a distance from others, and/or 
     o    Getting testing to inform your actions to prevent spread to others. 
    
Enhanced precautions are especially important to protect those most at risk for severe illness, including those over 65 and people with weakened immune systems.

For more information, please visit the CDC website on Respiratory Virus Guidance. 
 

Important: Defective COVID-19 Tests

This past October, Gilpin County Public Health offered free COVID-19 tests to community members to help prevent the spread of COVID in the county.

It has just come to our attention that these tests were unfortunately shipped to us containing low buffer fluid levels and therefore are defective.  

All Clinitest Rapid COVID-19 Antigen Self Tests with the lot number 2201838EUA should be promptly disposed of, as they will not effectively detect COVID-19.

Please also inform anyone that you may have shared these test kits with as well.  It is important that they do not receive false negative test results.  

Replacement tests have been ordered and will be available soon.  We sincerely apologize for this issue.

Please contact the public health office at (303)-582-5803 with any questions or concerns.  

Vaccines

Covid-19, Flu, RSV, and other vaccines are currently available at pharmacies, including the Walgreens in Evergreen, the Safeway in Idaho Springs, and the King Soopers in Evergreen. 

Paying for Vaccines 

Gilpin Public Health will have them available at no charge, but not for another 3-5 weeks.   There is no charge for most vaccines for people with Medicare, Medicaid, or private insurance. The mobile vaccine van will be available October 25, 2023 from 1pm to 7pm at the Gilpin County Community Center. The exception is Kaiser, which requires you to go to one of their locations. If transportation or finances are a concern for you to receive a vaccine, please contact Gilpin County Public Health and we will do our best to assist you. 303-582-5803

Who Should be Vaccinated

Please discuss this with your health care provider.  For Flu, there is a new high-dose version that is recommended for people over 65.  View the CDC’s recommendations on this high-dose version. For Covid-19, the CDC recommends getting the 2023 updated Covid-19 vaccines, at least 2 months after getting the last doses of any Covid-19 vaccines. 

RSV

Respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, is a common respiratory virus that usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms. Most people recover in a week or two, but RSV can be serious. Infants and older adults are more likely to develop severe RSV and need hospitalization. Vaccines are available to protect older adults from severe RSV. Preventive options are available to protect infants and young children from severe RSV. Learn more about RSV.