Ouray County Public Health Agency

02/06/2026

Love is in the air, but so is the flu - wash your hands!
🧼 Wash your hands often, and stay home when you are sick.🏡

Core prevention strategies are essential practices recommended for everyone. They provide a foundation of protection for you and your loved ones:
- Stay up to date with recommended immunizations. Talk to your doctor or trusted healthcare provider about what may be recommended for you and your family.
- Practice good hygiene like washing your hands regularly and cleaning commonly touched surfaces.
- Take steps for cleaner air as possible in places where people live and work.
- When sick with a respiratory illness:
-- Use precautions to prevent spread. Stay home and away from others.
-- Seek health care promptly for treatment if you have risk factors for severe illness; treatment may help lower your risk of severe illness.

Additional prevention strategies:
Additional prevention strategies are extra measures you can choose that can further reduce your risk of respiratory illness. They can provide an extra layer of protection and can be especially important in certain settings or when illnesses are increasing in your community.
- Wearing masks
- Physical distancing
- Tests
You may not be aware of the things that can make others more vulnerable to serious illness. If you are unsure about the health condition or risk status of those around you, the most protective option is choosing to use these additional prevention strategies.

Key times for prevention
All of the prevention strategies described in this guidance can be helpful to reduce risk. They are especially helpful when:
- Respiratory viruses are causing a lot of illness in your community. One thing to remember, though, is that vaccines take time to work. It's best to get vaccinated before viruses start spreading in your community.
- You or the people around you were recently exposed to a respiratory virus, are sick, or are recovering.
- You or the people around you have risk factors for severe illness.

01/28/2026

RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) is a common respiratory virus that usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms. Most people recover in a week or two; however, RSV may lead to more severe outcomes and may require hospitalization, particularly among babies and older adults. The text below is copied from CDPHE's website: RSV

🤧 RSV can spread when:
- Someone with RSV coughs or sneezes.
- Virus droplets from a cough or sneeze get in your eyes, nose, or mouth.
- You have direct contact with the virus, like kissing the face of a child with RSV.
- You touch a surface that has the virus on it, like a doorknob, and then touch your face before washing your hands.

Some people can get immunized to protect themselves or their babies from serious RSV illness. A single lifetime dose of RSV Vaccine is recommended for all adults aged 75 years and older and adults aged 50–74 years who are at higher risk for severe RSV disease. RSV vaccine is also recommended for people who are 32 - 36 weeks pregnant during the months of September - January.

😷 Everyday RSV prevention
You can take everyday prevention measures to help reduce the transmission of RSV and other respiratory illnesses.
🏠 Stay home when you're sick.
🤧 Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or your shirt sleeve, not your hands.
💧🧼 Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.
❌ Avoid touching your face with unwashed hands.
❌ Avoid close contact with others who are sick, such as kissing, shaking hands, and sharing cups and eating utensils.
🪣🧽 Clean frequently touched surfaces, such as doorknobs and mobile devices.
😷 Some people may choose to wear a mask for extra protection from respiratory viruses. Be respectful of everyone’s choices.

💻 Learn more! https://www.cdc.gov/rsv/vaccines/adults.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Frsv%2Fvaccines%2Folder-adults.html

01/21/2026

Grief Book Club at Wilkinson Library in Telluride starts tomorrow! The book is Bearing the Unbearable. I have read (or attempted to read) many books throughout my grief journey, and this one truly stands out as the number one most impactful and relatable. It was written by Dr. Joanne Cacciatore, the founder of the Selah Carefarm in Sedona, AZ. The book gives you a glimpse into the farm, Dr. Jo's story, and real-life experiences of many other grievers. Sometimes I felt like she was translating words right out of my heart. I urge you to read the book and join the book club this month if you can.

Here are the details:
Free Book Club to discuss Bearing the Unbearable: Love, Loss, and the Heartbreaking Path of Grief
Thursdays, January 22 - February 5, 5:30-7pm
Wilkinson Public Library in Telluride
Sign Up Here (first 10 registrants get the book for free!)

01/15/2026

Quitting to***co and ni****ne is hard.
Up to 8 weeks of free ni****ne replacement products and $100 in gift cards might make it a little easier. When you’re ready to quit using ni****ne products you can:

Receive a $10 gift card after your first call to a Quitline coach, $15 for the second, and $25 for each of the next three calls. Up to $100. Order up to 8 weeks of ni****ne replacement products through a Quitline coach or through the Quitline’s web-only option.

Visit ColoradoQuits.com or call 1-800-QUIT-NOW
(1-800-784-8669) to learn more.

Dejar el tabaco y la nicotina es difícil.
Hasta 8 semanas de productos de reemplazo de nicotina gratuitos y $100 en tarjetas de regalo pueden facilitarlo un poco. Cuando esté listo para dejar de consumir productos con nicotina, puede:

Recibir una tarjeta de regalo de $10 después de su primera llamada a un asesor de la Línea para Dejar de Fumar, $15 por la segunda y $25 por cada una de las siguientes tres llamadas. Hasta $100 en total. Solicitar hasta 8 semanas de productos de reemplazo de nicotina a través de un asesor de la Línea para Dejar de Fumar o mediante la opción en línea de la Línea para Dejar de Fumar.

Visite ColoradoQuits.com o llame al 1-800-QUIT-NOW
(1-800-784-8669) para obtener más información.

01/14/2026

There is a way to Grieve Well - You Are Not Alone

GrieveWell is a community of hope and healing. See what virtual events they have planned to support those in need.

Copyright ©2022 Grievewell * All Rights Reserved * GrieveWell is a not-for-profit 501(c)3 organization * (TIN #27-2146551) * Privacy Policy * Designed by SarahK8Design.

01/13/2026

Due to some unforeseen mechanical challenges at the Ouray County Event Center, we sadly have to reschedule our Wellnesspalooza event, which was scheduled for January 18. We will post a new date as soon as we have it scheduled. Thank you for your understanding, and stay tuned for updates!

Town of Ridgway, Colo.
Tri-County Health Network
Voyager Youth Program

01/12/2026

📣 Kristin Kelley Receives National Certification in Public Health from National Board of Public Health Examiners

Congratulations to our Ouray County Public Health Director, Kristin Kelley, who received her certification in Public Health in December, 2025. The nationally recognized Certified Public Health (CPH) credential signifies that a public health professional has extensive public health experience, along with a wide breadth and depth of public health knowledge.

Way to go, Kristin! We are proud of you and honored to have you working for Ouray County and sharing your passion and care with our community members.

01/05/2026

Due to some unforeseen mechanical challenges at the Ouray County Event Center, we sadly have to reschedule our Wellnesspalooza event, which was scheduled for January 18. We will post a new date as soon as we have it scheduled. Thank you for your understanding, and stay tuned for updates!

📣Join us for our First Annual Ouray County Wellnesspalooza!
Promoting mental health and wellness at this family friendly event in Ouray County.

Food 🔹 Resources 🔹 Wellness Activities 🔹 Live Music 🔹 Community

🎸🎤 Live Music by Ridgway favorites .man.polly and Heather and Doug!

📆 Sunday, January 18
⌚1PM-3PM
📍Ouray County Fairgrounds & Event Center, Ridgway

💻 Learn more: https://ouraycountyco.gov/506/WellnessPalooza