COVID In Colorado: Limited Vaccine Supply Poses A Challenge For Minority Outreach

DENVER (CBS4) - The city of Denver will move forward with more community vaccination events to reach underserved neighborhoods. However, health officials said vaccine supply could pose a challenge for outreach efforts.

State data shows 73% of all people immunized for COVID-19 in Colorado are white. Hispanics make up nearly 22% of the state's population, but only account for 5% of immunized Coloradans, raising the question of how to reach minority communities.

"I think it's largely dependent again on how much vaccine we get if it's minimal. If it's far short of what we need which is what we've been receiving, we have to be very thoughtful with how we allocated those," said Bob McDonald, Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

Health officials are still building out their plan for community outreach. Part of Denver Health's strategy is to bring vaccines directly to underserved areas using mobile clinics.

"The city is focused on having a citywide equity-based vaccination distribution plan that is sustainable," McDonald added. "That takes a little bit more time to coordinate but we are getting there."

In addition to mobile locations, McDonald said the city is also working to allocate more supplies to pharmacies and community clinics that already exist in target areas.