The process of vaccinating Colorado teachers and senior residents is underway, and additional frontline workers and people with multiple chronic health conditions could be eligible for their shots by the end of next week, state officials said Tuesday. .
The Department of Public Health and the Environment in Colorado has confirmed that the state expects to enter into phase 1B.3 of the COVID-19 vaccination distribution plan “on or about March 5”, but did not provide details on whether all phase it would not do. to be eligible at the same time.
“Providing accurate and accessible information regarding vaccines and vaccination is a priority for Colorado and we will continue to do so as we prepare for the upcoming phases,” a State Health Department representative wrote in an email.
Government Jared Polis said a new phase would begin when about half of those eligible in the previous phase received the vaccine.
Currently, people in phases 1A, 1B.1 and 1B.2 are eligible to be vaccinated. This includes anyone 65 or older, as well as first responders, residents of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities, and those working with the public in health care, child care or K-12 education.
The new phase will be eligible for what the state calls ‘essential frontline workers’ in the following industries:
- Food and agriculture (including grocery stores)
- Manufacture
- US Postal Service
- Public transport
- Public health
- Human services (including services to the homeless population)
- Faith Communities
- Journalism
Fitness will also extend to people with two or more of the following high-risk health conditions:
- Cancer
- Chronic kidney disease
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
- Diabetes
- Down syndrome
- Heart failure, coronary heart disease, cardiomyopathy or severe birth defects of the heart
- Obesity
- Pregnancy
- Sickle cell disease
- Suppressed immune system due to an organ transplant
- Disabilities that occur from wearing a mask
People with only one of these conditions are eligible for Phase 2 of the state vaccination later in the spring, along with healthy people aged 60 to 64 years.
Younger people without a suitable condition will probably have to wait until the summer, when the state reaches phase 3.
As of Tuesday afternoon, 388,490 people had received both doses of the vaccine, and 412,329 one dose. Government officials have set their goal of vaccinating 70% of the population aged 70 and over by the end of February.