Mass vaccine clinic planned for Colorado Springs, invite only and invitations were already sent out

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) - 11 News has confirmed with Centura Health there will be a mass vaccine clinic in Colorado Springs at the Broadmoor World Arena.

The clinic is invite only and invitations were already sent out on Thursday. The drive-thru clinic is scheduled for a test run on Feb. 11th with a few hundred doses and then Feb. 13 and 14 with the rest if the 5,000 doses administered. It is being put on by Centura Health and COVIDCheck Colorado. The vaccine doses are expected to be administered to people 65 and older, teachers and anyone else who falls under the current phase of the vaccine distribution plan for the state.

People who received an invite are not exclusively Centura patients. It is people in phase 1B.2, and those in under-served communities. Centura tells 11 News they asked the state for the supply and once they had the vaccines earmarked, they got to work planning.

“What we want to do is test this works, be able to demonstrate what kind of investment it takes to pull something like this off and who we need to be partnering with in the community,” Dr. Brian Erling, Chief Executive Officer of Penrose-St. Francis Health Services said. “And then I think we have a, a legitimate ask to the state to say, ‘look, we can do this, we’ll keep doing this...but we’re going to need the supply.’ So the intent is really a proof of concept and then let’s keep doing it.”

Dr. Erling says its one step closer to herd immunity.

“I look at this as an opportunity. I mean, this is any way you slice at 5,000 is a big number, but it’s kind of still a drop in the bucket in our community,” he said. “If we don’t do this, we’re going to have another surge. And so I think all of us want to just keep the positive momentum, keep vaccinating as fast as we can and get through this.”

For vaccine questions the public can call 2-1-1 or the state’s 24/7 hotline at 1-877-COVAXCO (1-877-268-2926.)

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