Several Broncos Fans Get The J&J Vaccine As Team Hosts Clinic At Training Camp
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (CBS4) - Several Denver Broncos fans showed up to get shots at the COVID-19 vaccination clinic the team set up outside training camp on Thursday. The clinic was set up in partnership with UCHealth at the team headquarters in Englewood.
UCHealth staff gave out the Johnson & Johnson vaccine to the fans who showed up to keep things simple. That way, the fans won't have to return to a health facility to get the second shot, as is the case with the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines.
Another reason was so fans who were unvaccinated could receive the vaccine in time for the Broncos final preseason game at Empower Field at Mile High next Saturday, which brings more piece of mind to those attending the game in person.
"We want to make everyone safe and enjoy the game. We don't want you to worry about 'Oh no, the person next to me he coughed and he may have COVID' and now you aren't going to have fun. Having the vaccine just lowers the risk and now you can have fun safely," said Dr. Michelle Barron from UCHealth.
Danny Rendon told CBS4 he was glad the Broncos set up the clinic.
"I have a daughter that's in high school and we enjoy high school sporting events. So I thought, this is something that if they make it a mandatory thing where you have to get that done, or if I'm in a crowd of people, I don't want to worry about that part of it and just enjoy the game itself."
Currently the Broncos gameday policy is that those who are vaccinated have the option to go to the game without a mask, and the team strongly recommends that those who aren't vaccinated wear a mask.
The effort by the Broncos follows similar efforts from the New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers who are both doing vaccination clinics. The Broncos have been reported to have one of the highest vaccination rates among NFL teams thus far. The vaccine clinic comes as Colorado's fully vaccinated rate remains at about 65% of the eligible population as of late last week.