Governor Polis Urges Congress to Invest in Lifesaving COVID Vaccines for All, Continue Program for Uninsured Coloradans and Americans to Benefit from Free Testing, Treatment, and Vaccines

DENVER — Today, Governor Jared Polis urged Congress to immediately invest in supplemental COVID-19 funding to secure enough booster vaccine doses for all Americans and invest in variant-specific vaccines or a pan-COVID vaccine protecting against a range of variants should the science and data demonstrate the need, purchase greater quantities of COVID-19 therapeutic treatments, including oral antivirals to achieve universal test-to-treat, and secure funding to continue the federal HRSA COVID-19 Uninsured Program for testing, vaccines and treatments past the April 5 designated sunset date.

“As a state, we can take action on many of the challenges we face, but we cannot solve all the existing challenges without federal action and support. That’s why we urge Congress to secure funding to purchase enough booster vaccine doses for all Americans, secure funding to purchase greater quantities of COVID-19 therapeutic treatments, and continue the HRSA COVID-19 Uninsured Program. Any loss of life is tragic and we are all suffering from the loved ones who are no longer with us due to this brutal pandemic. But losing lives at this juncture when COVID-19 is now preventable through our effective and safe vaccines and is treatable with the many therapeutics is unthinkable. It is not acceptable for more American lives to be lost due to Congressional inaction and politics -- that would be immoral. We have a duty to protect our people and we need federal action to do so,” Governor Polis wrote. 

As hundreds of Coloradans continue to initiate their primary COVID-19 vaccine series every week, 1,069,168 adults 50 and older in Colorado who have received an initial booster dose will soon be eligible to receive a second booster dose. To support the increased demand, Governor Polis has called on Congress to invest in supplemental COVID-19 funding to secure additional therapeutics, vaccines, testing supplies, and a continuation of the HRSA Uninsured Program.

Last month, the Polis administration released Colorado’s Next Chapter: Our Roadmap to Moving Forward, outlining the state’s plans for public health preparedness, including engaging the Federal Government in national endemic response, pandemic readiness and needed reforms.