Coconino County Jail Prisoners Start Receiving COVID-19 Vaccination

The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office has started offering the COVID-19 vaccine to inmates in the county jail. Medical staff recently completed their training on the vaccine. The Detention Facility quarantines all new inmates for 14-days upon arrival prior to testing for COVID-19. Inmates who test negative after quarantine are placed in the general inmate population. Inmates who test positive are moved to the medical unit and treated as required. To date, 180 inmates and 35 detention staff have tested positive for COVID-19. All inmates incarcerated at the Coconino County Detention Facility are deemed high risk for contracting COVID-19 due to being housed in a congregate setting. The jail’s inmate population is considered to be at a higher risk for reasons such as: age, hepatitis, IV drug use, alcohol abuse, hypertension, diabetes, asthma, COPD, HIV, and homelessness. After the high risk group is vaccinated, the vaccine will be offered to the remaining inmates that choose to receive it. Vaccinations started Thursday and all inmates received information about the vaccine while in custody. Once the inmate has received the vaccination, they will be monitored for any adverse reaction.