It may take up to 6-8 weeks to get on a vaccine appointment list. 

In a press conference on Monday morning, Governor Polis announced that he is opening up vaccinations for COVID-19 to anyone in the state over 16 beginning Friday, April 2. 

This general open vaccine date is ahead of the previous mid-April schedule, in an effort to get ahead of COVID-19 variant cases that are spreading across the globe. 

"This is a really important step that Colorado will be taking," said Polis during his announcement. "This is a race against the clock to safely vaccinate people while variants are on the rise. The good news is the vaccines are still highly effective against the variants. Each vaccine is a step closer to be getting back to normal."

As of this time, 1,579,599 Coloradans have received at least one dose and 999,618 Coloradans have been fully vaccinated, according to Polis.

It is noted that just because the vaccines are open to everyone on April 2, it could still take several weeks for all to get an appointment and receive a vaccine. It's anticipated that mid- to late-May all those who want a vaccine will be able to have it.

Polis encouraged people to continue to wear masks and practice social distancing as the state continues to vaccinate more people. He also thanked scientists and those who signed up to test the vaccines for their dedication. 

"Achieving this level of immunity that we hope to in the next month or two in ending the pandemic really takes all of us working together," he said, adding that there will be several distribution options available, including a new mobile fleet that will hit the road to help make the vaccine available. 

It's important to note that those 16 and 17 years of age are only cleared for the Pfizer vaccine. Everyone older than 18 can take any vaccines available. 

You can learn more about where you can find your vaccine and other information at Colorado's COVID-19 website.

Watch the full announcement below: