COVID In Colorado: 1,300 To Get Vaccine At Regis University Thanks To Local Latina Leaders

DENVER (CBS4)- As Phase 1B.4 rolls out, at least 1,300 people in underserved communities in the north and west Denver area will get vaccinated at a drive-through clinic this weekend at Regis University. Local elected Latina leaders, along with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, and the governor's COVID-19 equity task force, worked together to put on the third and largest event of its kind in recent months.

"There seems to be a lot of distrust in the Latino community," said Denver City Councilwoman and clinic organizer, Amanda Sandoval. "For those people who don't have access to the internet all day who are service workers, who aren't on their phone constantly as part of their job, or at a computer as part of their job, they're not getting access to their vaccine because they don't have the opportunity until late at night to get on a computer to sign up."

Sandoval, who serves Denver (District 1), along with Denver Council President Pro Tem Jamie Torres (District 3), Denver Public Schools Board Treasurer Angela Cobián (District 2), Senate Majority Caucus Chair Julie Gonzales (SD34), and House Assistant Majority Leader Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez (HD4) know the importance of vaccine equity. As they've worked to address disparities in vaccine access, Sandoval says language and religion have also been barriers for Latinos.

"The Archdiocese came out and encouraged Catholics not to take the Johnson and Johnson vaccine, so we've taken that into consideration," said Sandoval. "We'll continue to offer Moderna or Pfizer because of that barrier."

While Latinos continue to be disproportionately impacted by COVID, Sandoval says clinics like these keep the community safe.

"It's important that we get vaccines to this population because I don't want to lose anymore Latinos," Sandoval said.