When to get COVID-19 vaccine shots in Colorado in time for the holidays

Coloradans who aren’t yet vaccinated against COVID-19 still have time to get their shots before the holidays.

Depending on the type of vaccine someone chooses, the timeline may be running out, though. The COVID-19 vaccine developed by pharmaceutical companies Pfizer and BioNTech requires two doses three weeks apart, while Moderna’s shots must be given four weeks apart. Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine, meanwhile, requires just one dose.

Keep in mind that full protection from any of those vaccines doesn’t kick in until two weeks after the last dose, at which time a person is considered “fully vaccinated.”

Below are the dates by which the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, or CDPHE, says people should get their shots in time to protect themselves and their families ahead of the Nov. 25 Thanksgiving holiday.

• Moderna vaccine (two shots): first dose Oct. 14, second dose Nov. 11
• Pfizer vaccine (two shots): first dose Oct. 21, second dose Nov. 11
• Johnson & Johnson vaccine (one shot): Nov. 11

Some people, including children who are turning 12 in the next several weeks, might need to wait a bit longer. CDPHE also provided vaccination timelines for Hanukkah and Christmas.

For people aiming to be fully vaccinated by the time Hanukkah celebrations begin Nov. 28, here are the deadlines to keep in mind.

• Moderna vaccine: first dose Oct. 17, second dose Nov. 14
• Pfizer vaccine: first dose Oct. 24, second dose Nov. 14
• Johnson & Johnson: Nov. 14

Those who need to be fully vaccinated by Christmas on Dec. 25 have a few more weeks to get their shots.

• Moderna vaccine: first dose Nov. 13, second dose Dec. 11
• Pfizer: first dose Nov. 20, second dose Dec. 11
• Johnson & Johnson: Dec. 11

“The holidays are special because they often mean getting together with multiple generations of family and friends,” Jill Hunsaker Ryan, executive director of CDPHE, said in a written statement. “Many of us have had to sacrifice and cancel gatherings over the past 20 months because of the pandemic. This year, we have the option to gather more safely thanks to the vaccine.”

As of Tuesday, CDPHE was reporting that 3.82 million Coloradans — equal to 77.6% of the vaccine-eligible population 12 and older — had received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. Meanwhile, 3.51 million people, representing 71.3% of eligible Coloradans, were fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

The COVID-19 vaccine is free, and neither health insurance nor U.S. citizenship is required to receive it. People who receive the vaccine in Colorado do not have to provide proof of lawful presence in the U.S.

The state has mobile vaccination clinics scheduled for Oct. 15 at the following locations:

• Overlook at Thornton parking lot, 647 W. 91st Ave., Thornton, from 1 to 6 p.m.
• Boom Supersonic, 12876 E. Adam Aircraft Circle, Englewood, from 10 a.m. to noon
• HMART Aurora parking lot, 2751 S. Parker Road, Aurora, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• Inner City Health Center, 3800 York St., Denver, 3 to 6 p.m.
• Temple Denver, 1136 N. Broadway, Denver, 2 to 5 p.m.
• Walmart Supercenter parking lot, 3201 E. Platte Ave., Colorado Springs, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Colorado Mission of Mercy, 920 Field Ave., Cañon City, 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Alameda Crossing parking lot, 145 S. Sheridan Blvd., Lakewood, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Lloyd G. Clements Community Center parking lot, 1580 Yarrow St., Lakewood, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Bayfield Post Office, 145 W. Park St., Bayfield, 8 a.m. to noon
• TBK Bank, 351 Bayfield Center Drive, Bayfield, 1 to 5 p.m.
• Foothills mall, 215 E. Foothills Parkway, Fort Collins, noon to 6 p.m.
• Walmart Supercenter parking lot, 1510 W. Main St., Sterling, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• Mesa County Fairgrounds, 2785 U.S. Highway 50, Grand Junction, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Walter’s Brewery & Taproom, 126 Oneida St., Pueblo, 4 to 6 p.m.
• Town of Berthoud, 3rd Street between Mountain and Welsh avenues, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Visit covid19.colorado.gov/vaccine for more locations and information.