DENVER (KDVR) — Although he expressed frustration with the federal supply chain of COVID-19 vaccines, Gov. Jared Polis said he’s still confident that if you are a Coloradan over age 70, you will get the first dose of the vaccine by the end of February.
This is a big week for people age 70+, Gov. Polis said in a press conference. The state has moved about 40,000 vaccines up to being administered this week, which means roughly 120,000 people, or one in five people over age 70 will receive their first round of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Still, Gov. Polis stressed that what’s hindering the fight against COVID-19 is the limited supply of vaccines.
“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. Colorado has the ability to utilize three to five times of vaccines based on our current infrastructure, and our local public health departments and providers across the state have done yeoman’s work to get shots into arms,” said Gov. Polis, in a statement. “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.”
Although Gov. Polis urged vaccine providers to use all their Moderna and Pfizer vaccine supplies immediately, using designated second-round doses as first doses, people will still get their second doses on time when they need it, he said.
Gov. Polis said Colorado is still a leader in vaccine distribution. He said around 5.5% of the state’s population has received at their the first vaccine dose.