Vaccinations

The Colorado Sun's John Ingold joins us to discuss a new vaccination campaign underway in Colorado for mpox, the virus formerly known as monkeypox.

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

On today’s episode of Colorado Edition, we learn about the rollout of COVID-19 booster shots in Colorado. We also wrap up our series on sundown towns in the Mountain West with a look at discrimination in Loveland and a conversation with some of the journalists who worked on the project.

Weekly vaccine administration has risen more than 20% since early July. We visit a mobile clinic in Greeley to find out what’s driving the increase.

Low vaccination rates make many counties in the Mountain West especially vulnerable to the COVID-19 delta variant right now, according to data from the public health research group PHICOR. That’s prompting tough new action from some state and federal officials.

This week, dozens of health organizations — from the American Medical Association to the American Nurses Association — said they support mandates that require health care workers to get the COVID-19 vaccine. The mandates are starting to trickle into Colorado.

Corrections officers were among the second group to get early access to coronavirus vaccines late last year. Experts are mixed on how well monetary vaccine incentives actually work. In the two months since CDOC’s bonus was introduced, vaccinations for staff who regularly work in the correctional facilities only increased about 15%, remaining just over half in total.

In another sign the pandemic is starting to end, people at hundreds of residential care facilities across Colorado no longer have to wear masks. The caveat is the same as the one for the general public: the rule applies only to those who are vaccinated.

You may be familiar with the TV show “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?” Colorado has launched its own version, and all residents who are vaccinated against COVID-19 are eligible to win. The state announced it will give away $1 million weekly between June 4 and July 7, using federal CARES Act money that would have gone to vaccine advertising. But how well vaccine incentives actually work remains a bit of an open question.

Cases across rural America are at their lowest levels since last July. But a public health official in Montana suspects some sick people just aren't getting tested.