DENVER — Despite the wide availability of vaccines in Colorado, Latinos continue to have the lowest vaccination rate of all demographic groups in the state.
In their ongoing effort to change that, Servicios de la Raza will extend its vaccination clinics. They will be at the Mexican Consulate in Denver on Saturday and at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church on Sunday.
“We have been frequently using our weekends to get closer to the places where our Hispanic population is needing their vaccine,” Ricardo González-Fisher said.
“This is the first time that we have been invited to work with Padre Benito in the Church of our Lady de Guadalupe,” González-Fisher added.
On Tuesday, González-Fisher joined 9NEWS Watch anchor Chris Bianchi to talk about the organization's outreach efforts to increase the low vaccination rate that continues to linger in the Latino community.
González-Fisher said that it's not necessarily hosting a clinic at an event that makes it a success -- it's more about meeting the community where they are.
“I think that being where people that are needing us, being there when they’re not working, when they’re doing something else that they still have to do like going to church, or going to do something at the consulate brings people there," he said. "Because it doesn’t have any hassle, they can just come and take their vaccines with us."
The percentage of Latinos who are vaccinated with at least one dose in Colorado rose to 39% this month, and even though it's just a slight change from the 38% from last month, the organization has been noticing an increase in the number of people coming to get their first doses.
“At least one-third of the people that we’ve been vaccinating are going for their first dose, which is encouraging for us,” he said.
González-Fisher said the reason for the increase could have something to do with the ending of mask mandates, because he said people don't trust the system and they don't want to be told what to do.
“So now that there’s no mandates, this may bring some people back," he said. "Now they’re coming because they want to."
González-Fisher said they will also be offering vaccines for children 5 to 11 this weekend.
Vaccine clinics offered by the organization:
Mexican Consulate in Denver
This clinic will be held Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the consulate located at 5350 Leetsdale Dr. #100.
Our Lady of Guadalupe Church
This clinic will be held at the church located at 1209 W. 36th Ave. from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Extended hours clinic at Servicios de la Raza
The clinic is held every Tuesday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the organization, which is located at 3131 W. 14th Ave.
Tuesday, Servicios is hosting a youth art show simultaneously.
“We’re going to have a group of teenagers that are coming to get their vaccine with us starting at 6:00," González-Fisher said.
The organization held an art contest for BIPOC youth to submit a piece of art with the theme of vaccinations -- an effort from the organization to encourage young Latinos to get vaccinated.
The winner of the contest has been chosen to win $1,000. That work, along with the second and third place pieces and prints of all of the submissions, will be on display.
Servicios De La Raza, the state's largest nonprofit serving Latinos, continues to work to bring more resources and information about COVID-19 to residents of Colorado who are the most difficult to reach.
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