Colorado offers COVID-19 vaccines without an appointment
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Ambika Nansell receives a dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine at a mass COVID-19 vaccination event in Denver. Photo: Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images
Colorado is now making COVID-19 vaccines available without an appointment, part of the state's race to immunize people amid the increasing spread of the virus' variants.
Driving the news: Three vaccine sites are now accepting walk-in patients and others are taking same-day appointments.
The walk-in locations are:
- Ball Arena in Denver, 9am to 7pm, Monday through Friday.
- The Ranch in Loveland, 10am to 6pm, Monday through Saturday.
- Colorado State Fairgrounds in Pueblo, 9am to 5pm, Monday through Friday.
Why it matters: The new phase in the state's vaccine campaign is possible because there's more supply than immediate demand, Democratic Gov. Jared Polis said Tuesday.
The situation mirrors national trends showing that the U.S. will probably run out of adults who are enthusiastic about getting vaccinated within the next two to four weeks, Axios Vitals writer Caitlin Owens writes.
- Half of adults in Colorado have received at least one shot, and about one-third are fully vaccinated.
- Another 10% don't want the vaccine, the governor said, though polls the state paid for show it's likely a much larger share of the population.
By the numbers: Hospitalization and case numbers are at their highest level since late January, officials said.
- Colorado reported 819 people contracted COVID-19 after being immunized but stressed it's a small portion — only 1 in every 7,000 people who were vaccinated, an analysis showed.
Between the lines: The Polis administration is now focusing its energy on convincing the hesitant to get vaccinated now that it's easier.
- "This is time to stop procrastinating and show up. … Now we do have enough for everybody," the governor said.
Yes, but: The state shut down two more community vaccination sites, one in Brighton and one in Westminster, after discovering problems related to how the provider Advanced Urgent Care stored the doses, according to the Denver Gazette.
- State officials are stepping up protocols after missing problems at Dr. Moma Health and Wellness, a clinic in Colorado Springs that offered the vaccine.
Responding to questions, Polis sought to downplay the problems, saying he has "a high degree in confidence in our partners."