NewsState News

Actions

Colorado school vaccination rates drop again, erasing years of progress

One in 10 kindergarteners not fully protected, according to new state data
Kids COVID-19 vaccines
Posted at 10:25 AM, Aug 09, 2023
and last updated 2023-08-09 12:26:34-04

DENVER — More than one in 10 Colorado kindergarteners hasn’t had all of their required shots, erasing pre-pandemic gains in getting children immunized.

The percentage of Colorado kindergarteners who’d received their vaccinations declined in the previous two school years, but was still slightly higher than it had been in 2018. Now, that progress has been undone, and older children were actually slightly less likely to be vaccinated in fall 2022 than they were four years earlier.

Vaccination rates were up slightly for children in preschool and child care, though.

About 88% of kindergarteners, 92% of all school-aged children and 96% of those in preschool or day care were up to date on their vaccines during the 2022-2023 school year, state health officials said. Kindergartners showed a 5.2% decrease in compliance, and all school-aged children a 2.2% decrease, over the 2021-2022 school year.

Read the rest from our partners at The Denver Post.

Childhood vaccinations rates dropping


D7 follow up bar 2460x400FINAL.png
The Follow Up
What do you want Denver7 to follow up on? Is there a story, topic or issue you want us to revisit? Let us know with the contact form below.