This week, more COVID-19 vaccines should be administered to Coloradans 70 and older in the wake of the state redirecting doses earmarked as second shots to instead be given as first doses.
In a letter sent Monday, Polis asked health care providers and local public health agencies to begin actively managing their vaccine supplies on a week-to-week basis and “not let any vaccines sit on shelves. This means you should retain only enough second doses that are required for this week,” the letter states.
“Additional doses of both the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines that had been designated as second doses should now be used as first doses for Coloradans ages 70 and up during the week of Jan. 18-25,” the letter states. “The state will backfill additional second doses as needed in future weeks from future supply.”
In a news release on Tuesday, Polis stated, “The main limiting factor right now in our fight against the spread of COVID-19 in Colorado is the limited supply of the vaccine. I share the frustration of our 70+ population and others who want to get vaccinated.”
Local public health departments and providers across the state have done “yeoman’s work to get shots into arms,” Polis stated in the release, adding, “The reality is we are exhausting our supply each week and it’s frustrating how slow we are receiving vaccination doses but we are hopeful that the amount we recover will increase over time.”
Colorado has been among the top 10 of states in the U.S. in terms of vaccines administered, according to the release.
Polis in the release also stressed that the vaccine is free and stated “if an individual is asked to provide financial information it is a scam." Polis last week signed an executive order ensuring the vaccine is free for Coloradans, and that insurance status will not be used to deny or deprioritize any patient from getting the vaccine.
The vaccination schedule was discussed by Polis at a Tuesday news conference that can be viewed here.
In a separate Tuesday news release, Sens. John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennet and Polis announced the state has been awarded $181 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency Public Assistance Program to support free COVID-19 testing sites across the state.
“With vaccine distribution underway, the end to this pandemic is in sight — but Coloradans need to continue to do their part by social distancing, wearing masks, and getting tested. I’m glad we’ve been able to secure funding to boost testing sites across Colorado and get over the finish line together,” Hickenlooper stated in the release.
More information about COVID-19 testing, including where to find the nearest community testing site, is available here.
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