Turnout remains low at FEMA Mass Vaccination Clinic in Pueblo

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) -- Turnout at the Mass Vaccination Clinic at the Colorado State Fairgrounds remains low. On Sunday, only 138 people came out to get a dose of the COVID-19 Vaccine.

According to FEMA, the clinic has the capacity to vaccinate 3,000 people a day. Unfortunately, since the federal government took over operations at the clinic on April 14th, only 1,916 doses of the vaccine were administered on the clinic's busiest day.

"Across the country, we've seen reports of hesitancy to get vaccinated, but really what's driving that is hard to know at this point," said Julie Brooks with FEMA. "What's going to happen after you get the vaccine are you going to get sick or are you going to miss work. We've heard anecdotally a lot of that."

According to the Pueblo County Health Department, 60,368 people above the age of 16 have received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, that’s 44.5% of the total population of Pueblo County. Their goal is to hit 70%. 

"We have a vaccine capacity that is greater to how many people we're vaccinating right now," said Brooks. "But as long as we are vaccinating people every day. Every vaccination gets us closer to where we need to be as a community."

Brooks says another reason for the low turnout at the Colorado State Fairgrounds could be there are more vaccination options for people in the community.

"We are saturated by people offering the vaccine," said Brooks. "If you can get it at your grocery store why would you come here? Any way that we can expand access to those that need the access, let's do it."

The Vaccination Clinic at the Colorado State Fairgrounds will remain open one hour later until 7:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday this week. That extra hour is meant to provide greater opportunities to individuals with work schedules that limit their ability to access the site before 6 p.m. during the week.

Vaccination clinics are provided in Pueblo County to deliver vaccines throughout the area.

This is a list of upcoming clinics throughout Pueblo. All of these clinics are open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. unless noted in bold:

• Pueblo County High School, 1050 35th Ln, Pueblo, CO 81006 – Tuesday, April 27- 4 to 9 p.m.
• South High School, Hollywood Dr.  Pueblo, CO 81005 – Wednesday, April 28 – 4 to 9 p.m.
• St. Joseph Catholic Church, 1145 S. Aspen Rd. Pueblo, CO 81006  – Thursday, April 29
• Centennial High School -  2525 Mountview Dr. Pueblo, CO 81008 - Friday, April 30
• New Hope Baptist Church, 1229 W. 18^th St. Pueblo, CO  81003 – Saturday, May 1
• Sacred Heart Catholic Church (Avondale), 240 E US Hwy. 50 Avondale, CO 81022 – Thursday, May 6     
• East High School, 9 MacNeil Pueblo, CO 81008 – Friday, May 7