EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) – John Reinert, 74, knows a computer. Still, he describes the process of reporting for a vaccine in El Paso County as daunting and frustrating.
“Because I’m an electrical engineer, I’m technically proficient,” Reinert said. “I could find myself through all the different sites, but I know other people my age will struggle a little more with the technology.”
Reinert allegedly signed up for a vaccine through each of the El Paso County Public Health vaccine partners listed on his website. He said he only received confirmation from one.
“Maybe it’s not an urgency to get at the top of the list, but at least to know I’m on a list,” Reinert said. “Because I’m not currently confident I know.”
Lisa Powell, the manager of emergency preparedness and response for public health in El Paso County, confirmed Friday how people can get a COVID-19 vaccine.
“For all the providers with whom you are currently an established patient, they will contact you if they can get the vaccine from you,” Powell said. “For those who register, they have to go to the portal or call to register.”
KRDO asked the El Paso County Public Health Service why the reporting responsibility falls primarily on the patients.
“We were wrong on the side of how to get the vaccine in people’s arms on how to get an easy application process,” Powell said.
The approach pushed Reinert to sign up for warnings of Pueblo Public Health’s vaccination through the vaccine, only to hear that he must be a Pueblo County resident to get a vaccine there. He is also looking for vaccination clinics in the Denver area.
The health department said it did not rule out the possibility of a more community-based approach to vaccination in the future. But for now, the country is sticking to its plan to administer vaccines through CDC-approved providers.