COVID In Colorado: Older Adults Concerned About Getting Vaccine As More Groups Become Eligible

JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4)- Coloradans over 70 say they are still struggling to find a provider to give them their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine as Gov. Jared Polis said Friday that 64% of that age group had received the first shot. The family of a World War II veteran says they keep trying to find an appointment for him, reaching out to everyone they can think of including pharmacies and fire stations.

"I feel like the system is setup almost like a concert system where if you're not on there right away, you're not going to get those things," said Joey Riefenberg. "He's healthy and in shape so you know we want to keep it that way and keep it going."

Riefenberg's father is 92 and has lived in Colorado his whole life. He still enjoys an active lifestyle and some independence, stopping to ski last year only because of concerns of the coronavirus. Sharing stories of his time in Italy for the war, he says we are living in a unique moment and it cannot be compared to any other decade.

"I have never been through a pandemic before but I've been through a lot of things," David Riefenberg told CBS4 on Friday. "It's a different experience, kind of shutting everything down, I've never seen that before."

Riefenberg's son hopes his father would be at the top of the list to get the vaccine and worries that as more people become eligible, those 65 and older, it will only become more difficult for the family to secure an appointment for him. They've reached out to locations near his home and as far as Golden and Arvada.

"That's the hardest thing, is it the county we need to get a hold of or is it the state?" his son said.

The number of people with the vaccine in the 70 and up age group is more than 250,000 as of Friday, according to the governor. He says the state expects to have 70% of that age group vaccinated by the end of February and when asked about people like Riefenberg, the governor said he believes they will get the vaccine this month.

"I can hang loose for a while but I probably ought to have the vaccine eventually," Riefenberg said.