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Coloradans describe what pushed them to get the COVID-19 vaccine now

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Posted at 2:58 PM, Aug 01, 2021
and last updated 2021-08-01 19:34:50-04

AURORA, Colo. - The Gardens on Havana shopping center in Aurora is typically filled with shoppers, but on Sunday morning a mobile vaccination site was the reason behind the forming of a line.

Zola Alfred was one of the many who was eligible to get a COVID-19 vaccine months ago. At the time she wasn't comfortable getting it right away, which is why she waited.

"I have been waiting to see how things are, you know, how things are going and progressing," she said "I definitely wanted to wait and give it at least a year to see what statistics said and all that other kind of stuff. So, I've been watching the news and reading a lot to just keep up with it."

While her initial plan was to hold off on getting the shot, her children and the opportunity to get a gift card pushed her to get the vaccine now.

"I decided, if they're going to let us back in the building at my kids school, since I am on the PTCL board, I wanted to be able to have access to get inside of the building, just in case that was one of the requirements. So I was like, 'let me just go ahead and get my vaccine'. Plus, they're given $100 incentive in the state of Colorado, so why not?" she said.

School was also one of the reason Demetrius Pullman brought his 16 and 17-year-old teens, Talia and Dre to get vaccinated.

"To keep us safe. We all need to get this," he said.

Just like Zola, his initial plan was to hold off on getting vaccinated. A doctor changed his mind just a couple of weeks ago after telling him it was the best way to keep one of his immunocompromised children safe.

"When we took my daughter to the doctor, they recommended that we get it because of her. Yeah, so there's more of it just to protect my kids, you know," he said.

Both of his kids and Zola walked away not only with the first dose of a vaccine, but also a $100 Walmart gift card.

"This is for me, my vaccine, my card, spending it on myself," said Zola.