COVID-19 Vaccine Access to be Expanded to Residents Ages 60-64

Colorado Governor Jared Polis has announced that the state will be expanding vaccine access to people ages 60 through 64 starting, Friday, March 5.

The expanded access is referred to as phase 1B.3. Additionally, it includes agricultural processing plant workers, grocery workers, and Coloradans ages 16 through 59 with two or more diseases or medical conditions, including cancer, chronic kidney disease, diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder. The state aims to make the vaccine available to those ages 50 and older by the end of March.

Essential workers from postal workers and higher-education faculty to faith leaders and direct-care providers for the homeless will also be eligible for the vaccine. Governor Polis gave the target date of Sunday, March 21, for Coloradans ages 50 and older to gain access to the vaccine. However, this date may change depending on the supply of the vaccine.

Governor Polis said that all Coloradans ages 65 and older are now eligible to receive the vaccine and make appointments to receive a dose. He claimed that nearly 67 percent of Coloradans ages 70 and older had received a vaccine dose.

Job-specific vaccine access ends at the end of this month, and Governor Polis estimates that access to the general public may occur as soon as the end of next month or the beginning of May, depending on the supply. The governor warned Coloradans to stay safe regardless of the vaccination increase and urged everyone to be patient and wear a mask.