Coronavirus Vaccine

About 8 million people have received the COVID-19 bivalent booster shot nationwide — less than 3% of the eligible U.S. population.

A recent Kaiser Family Foundation Hispanic vaccination rates were only 42% in Idaho and Colorado: tying for the second lowest rate in the country, above South Dakota.

Colorado’s top public health investigator is cautiously optimistic that the latest coronavirus wave may be ending. Yet the state is still gripped by the virus. Cases and positivity rates are higher than in prior waves, straining businesses and schools as workers call in sick or quarantine after being exposed.

Every COVID-19 metric looks a little more hopeful compared to a few weeks ago. Cases are down. So are hospitalizations. Yet state health officials worry about wild cards, like the omicron variant, and say a cautious approach could help prevent numbers from taking another turn for the worse.

This Tuesday marks one year since the first COVID-19 vaccines became available in Colorado. Despite progress in getting Coloradans vaccinated since then, the virus and its variants are still spreading in the state, and case numbers and hospitalizations remain at high levels. For perspective from a public health expert who was on the front line of both the pandemic and vaccine rollout in Northern Colorado, we spoke with Dr. Mark Wallace, chief clinical officer for Sunrise Community Health.

Vaccines first became available in Colorado nearly one year ago, on Dec. 14, 2020. In the year since, despite millions of Coloradans getting vaccinated, the virus and its variants are still spreading.

The COVID-19 vaccine rollout initially focused on those who were most at-risk, such as older adults and healthcare workers, and gradually expanded over the next few months to phase in more people. But barriers to access, as well as a lack of trust in the vaccine, were noted among some communities of color. To build access and trust and to help dispel misinformation, a group of medical leaders created the Colorado Vaccine Equity Task Force.

Last month, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced an emergency temporary standard mandating COVID-19 vaccines for employees at companies with more than 100 workers. The mandate was challenged by numerous lawsuits, which were consolidated into a single case now being heard by the Sixth Circuit court.

Gov. Jared Polis hopes giving out more COVID-19 vaccine booster shots will keep more people out of hospitals, which public health officials fear could run out of beds by the end of December.

In Greeley-Evans School District 6, COVID case numbers are higher by month this year than last year.