Why Colorado health officials say vaccine rates are down

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) - On Monday, the Director of Infection Prevention for UCHealth said vaccination rates have been down since the COVID-19 pandemic and misinformation about vaccines is the main cause.

According to health officials, post-pandemic vaccination rates have yet to reach herd immunity, meaning a large enough amount of people have vaccines to create immunity in the community. The main viruses of focus during flu season are Covid-19, Influenza, and RSV.

Officials say these low rates are especially true for young kids and students. The target percentage is 95% but for K12 students across Colorado vaccine rates were at 90.1%. One of the lowest school districts in the state was Colorado Springs School District 11 which had rates of 85%.

“That really speaks to why those vaccines are so important, particularly for people who are either older, very young or have certain medical conditions that put them at higher risk of severe illness,” said Dr Larissa Pisney, UC Health medical director of infection prevention.

Health officials say they are seeing more sporadic cases of all the viruses listed including the summer surge of COVID-19 Colorado saw in the last couple of months. In order for kids to stay healthy at school, officials believe they need to reach that target vaccination rate.

“We aim to reach herd immunity where those who may not be able to respond to vaccination as well because of certain medical conditions or they have a true contraindication to getting the vaccine...Those people are protected at 95%. Multiple states including Colorado, we are seeing that number dip below 95%,” said Dr. Pisney.

Health experts recommend that families get their annual checkups, wash their hands, and stay up to date on vaccinations to stay healthy during flu season.

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