COVID In Denver: 1 Of 4 Community-Based Vaccine Sites Opens In Montbello

DENVER (CBS4)- The first of at least four community-based coronavirus vaccination sites in Denver opened at the Montbello Rec Center on Thursday. People who had booked appointments waited for their turn to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

The clinic is only for people who pre-registered and who live within two Montbello zip codes; 80239 and 80249. The city says it's been working with community partners to find people eligible for the vaccine and get them signed up.

Denver Health and Hospital Authority staff were there to administer the vaccines.

"I'm a health care workers and I have been for over 20 years, so I needed to get the vaccine," said Carlotta Charles.

The city is hoping to model the vaccination clinic after localized testing it conducted a few weeks ago. The Montbello location will also be the beginning of multiple sites throughout the city to increase vaccinations in needed neighborhoods.

The city says locations in Northeast, West, and Southwest Denver will follow.

Denver Health and the City of Denver say final details on locations and ways to sign up are still being worked out. In the meantime, Dr. Burman encourages people to sign up for the COVID vaccination list.

Demographic data for Colorado shows far more white people are getting shots compared to Black and Hispanic populations. So far, 74% of the shots have been administered to whites. Hispanic people have gotten 5% of the doses, although they make up 21% of the population. Only 2% of the doses have been administered to the Black community.