All Colorado residents 16 years and older will be eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine on Friday, but the process for actually getting that shot in your arm can be complicated and often wrought with technological difficulties.
Some people have made it work by logging into online reservation sites and constantly refreshing the page — and a little bit of luck, like Bianca Hall of Parker who has signed up herself, her husband and six of her friends and relatives.
“It's just persistence,” Hall said. “Unfortunately, we don't have any central booking place in the state, so I'm kind of lucky to be a stay-at-home mom. I have time, as much as anyone has with two kids running around.”
She’s had luck with King Soopers’ online reservations, but many others have struggled to make an appointment with the grocery store chain. Hall said she recommends logging on earlier in the day or later in the evening and refreshing the page until you get an appointment. She also said that she’s made appointments that are farther away — like one in Federal Heights for her husband.
Gov. Jared Polis announced the expansion of vaccine eligibility on Monday and noted the influx of vaccine doses. Colorado National Guard Brig. Gen. Scott Sherman, who is heading up the vaccination effort, said the state is getting 422,000 doses this week. That’s many times more than just a few weeks back. And now the state has new one-shot doses, from Johnson and Johnson, in addition to those already coming from Pfizer and Moderna.
Polis added the six mass drive-in sites for the state's eligible population will still be taking appointments and four mobile bus clinics will be added to distribute vaccines to underserved communities. The clinics will launch soon, according to state officials, but details have not been announced.
Hall registered her sister, Ali Rodriguez-Carlson, at the Ball Arena in Denver, one of the mass vaccination sites. She’ll be getting her vaccine on Friday. The sisters are looking forward to a family reunion once everyone is fully vaccinated.
“I had assumed I wouldn't be able to get my vaccine until like late April at the earliest, just because so many people are wanting it,” Rodriguez-Carlson said. “I was prepared to be the only Zoom participant on a family party and then she made it, so that's not gonna happen. Like when we all get together, all of us can be there. So it's really special to me.”
The sisters’ parents are vaccinated and each of their husbands have forthcoming appointments. They haven’t hugged each other in more than a year and have only seen one another in the front yard of their parent’s house.
Here’s where you can find COVID vaccine appointments:
Vaccine appointments are available at a variety of hospitals, clinics, state and local mass vaccination sites and grocery store pharmacies. Some providers have waitlists that are tens of thousands of digital line holders long. Others drop appointments without warning, meaning you might just have to be lucky.
See the full list of vaccination sites by county here.
- Denver Health
- Waitlist registration for both patients and non-patients
- Register for their vaccine interest form here
- Kaiser
- Digital line waitlist for both patients and non-patients here
- Statewide mass vaccination sites
- COVIDCheck Colorado has 14 mass vaccination sites across the state. Register for appointments or pre-register here to get on a waitlist for an appointment.
- Pagosa Springs, Colorado Springs, Pueblo, Commerce City, Parker, Durango, Grand Junction, Aurora, Denver (3 locations), Thornton, Lone Tree, Westminster
- Centura Health
- Waitlist registration for both patients and non-patients, check here
- King Soopers
- Appointments open periodically at different locations, check here
- Plagued with glitches
- Appointments disappear quickly
- People game the system by watching vaccine alert social media accounts and then entering the zip code of the store instead of their own zip code
- City Market / Kroger
- Safeway
- Appointments open periodically at different locations, check here
- Walmart
- Appointments open periodically at different locations, check here
- Sam’s Club
- Offers appointments at several locations, check here
- CVS
- Offers appointments at several locations, check here
- Walgreens
- Offers appointments at several locations, check here
Contact your local county health department for more information on where to get a vaccine.
Editor's Note: A previous version of this story misstated where Bianca Hall's husband was getting vaccinated. It is Federal Heights, not Firestone.
