General public eligible for vaccine Friday
On Monday, March 29, Gov. Jared Polis announced that starting Friday, April 2, all Coloradans over the age of 16 will be eligible to receive the Pfizer vaccine, and all Coloradans over the age of 18 will be eligible to receive the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines. The governor shared that the state anticipates that everyone who wants it will have access to the vaccine before the end of May. He was joined by Brigadier General Scott Sherman to discuss the next phase of vaccine distribution.
“Each vaccine is a step towards getting back to normal. Today is a monumental step forward in Colorado’s efforts to get vaccines to every person who wants one, and I want to thank our frontline heroes — both professional and volunteer — who have stepped up, racing to get shots into arms,” said Polis.
He continued, “This is one of the greatest feats in human history, and we couldn’t have gotten to where we are now without their tireless efforts. Soon everyone in our state will be able to get the protection they need, but it’s going to take some time. It could be next week, it could be in five weeks. So while availability opens to everyone this Friday, April 2, be patient and know that your time will come.”
Currently, 70% of all Coloradans 60 and older have been vaccinated, including 79% of all Coloradans 70 and older, 71% of Coloradans 65-69, and 53% of Coloradans 60-64. More than 1.5 million Coloradans have received their first dose of the vaccine, and almost 1 million have been fully immunized.
Colorado also has numerous strategies in place to narrow gaps in vaccine distribution. In addition to standing up community vaccination sites, the state’s equity outreach team is working directly with community-based organizations, providers, local public health agencies and tribes to set up vaccine clinics in underserved communities across the state.
As of Monday, March 29, 111 clinics have been completed, with 10-12 clinics completed per week on average. More than 75 clinics scheduled through April 6 are expected to administer over 30,400 doses.
Finally, Polis announced that Colorado will be launching mobile vaccine clinics to create even more access for Coloradans in the coming weeks. These buses will travel to small communities and meet Coloradans where they are. More information will be coming as these clinics come online.
Polis delivered this news with the caveat that this is still a time for caution. New cases and hospitalizations are holding steady, but emerging COVID-19 variants are cause for concern. For Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines, it typically takes two weeks for the body to build immunity after vaccination. That means a person can be infected from exposure to COVID-19 just before or just after vaccination.
The press conference can be viewed on the governor’s Facebook page.