People who got their COVID-19 vaccinations at Veterans Administration hospitals and clinics will now be eligible to win Colorado's $1 million drawings.
A state health department spokesman said Friday night that they had figured out a fix to get as many as 65,000 people who got their shots at VA facilities into the state's immunization database. That database will be used starting Wednesday as the source for the $1 million drawings of vaccinated people. There will be five such drawings in coming weeks.
"We have worked closely with the Veteran’s Administration to find a solution with their eligibility in the upcoming $1 million drawings, and we are pleased to announce that individuals vaccinated through the VA will be eligible," the state announced Friday night.
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The problem emerged Wednesday when vaccinated veterans started looking at the state's vaccine information database to confirm their eligibility for the drawings, but could not find their names or vaccine status. State officials acknowledged they were aware of the problem and working on a solution.
Harder to solve: Cases in which a vaccine provider simply failed to upload a vaccination record. State officials encourage people who can't find their vaccine status to contact their provider and ask them to look into it. Also hard to resolve are cases in which a Coloradan received their vaccination in another state. Those people can contact the Colorado Immunization Information System help desk and, after providing proof of vaccination, get added to the state's database in time for the drawings.
Still to be fixed is a disconnect between the federal Department of Defense vaccine system and the state. Individuals who received their shots at military facilities are not currently eligible for the drawings because their names are not in the CIIS, but the health department statement said they were "confident" a fix was on the way.
The first winner will be announced next Friday.
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