The Jefferson County (Colorado) Department of Public Health pulled three vans that travel through the county administering coronavirus vaccines from the streets over Labor Day weekend because the medical professionals were being harassed and targeted by miscreant passers-by, the Denver Post reports.
Health care workers had drivers passing by the vans shout vulgarities and hurl garbage at them, prompting county JCPH executive director Dawn Comstock to order the vans back to county offices for the workers’ safety. In one case, a vehicle at a high speed approached the spot at which the van was parked and drove over the sandwich-board signs set up to promote free vaccinations, missing the workers by feet.
“Additional cars drove by screaming obscenities at vaccine staff and throwing garbage at them. I will not put the hard-working public health staff in harm’s way,” Comstock said. “It’s the epitome of selfishness and I am angry today.”
Comstock said the three mobile vaccination centers, which have been operating since the spring, have administered more than 11,000 doses in Jefferson and Gilpin counties. Jefferson County has more than 580,000 residents, while Gilpin has less than 6,000.