Angel Shipman with American Medical Response administers a COVID-19 vaccine to John Oakes of Durango on Thursday at Sky Ute Casino Resort Event Center. The Southern Ute Indian Tribe vaccination clinic provided the first dose of the Moderna vaccine to people 18 and older. “The Southern Ute Indian Tribe recognizes the importance of protecting the larger surrounding community and its correlation to protecting the tribal membership,” SUIT spokeswoman Lindsay Box said. “We are grateful to have the opportunity to open the tribal vaccination event to the community.”

Margo Yeager, chief nursing officer at the Southern Ute Health Center, fills a syringe with Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine Thursday during the Southern Ute Indian Tribe vaccination event at Sky Ute Casino Resort Event Center. The tribe’s clinic provided the first dose of the vaccine to people 18 and older.

Patrick Wright waits in line in a chair Thursday during the Southern Ute Indian Tribe’s COVID-19 vaccination event at Sky Ute Casino Resort Event Center. The event provided the first dose of the Moderna vaccine to people age 18 and older.

People register Thursday during the Southern Ute Indian Tribe vaccination event at Sky Ute Casino Resort Event Center. The event provided the first dose of the Moderna vaccine to people age 18 and older. “The Southern Ute Indian Tribe recognizes the importance of protecting the larger surrounding community and its correlation to protecting the tribal membership,” SUIT spokeswoman Lindsay Box said. “We are grateful to have the opportunity to open the tribal vaccination event to the community.”

People wait in line Thursday during the Southern Ute Indian Tribe vaccination event at Sky Ute Casino Resort Event Center. The event provided the first dose of the Moderna vaccine to people age 18 and older.