DENVER (KDVR) — In the year and one month since the first Coloradan was dosed with a COVID-19 vaccine, more than 80% of eligible Coloradans have gotten at least one shot.
Colorado announced the milestone on Friday, with the state vaccine dashboard showing more than 4.3 million people in the state have been immunized with at least one dose. The figure accounts for 80% of eligible Coloradans age 5 and older, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
“The vaccine is delivering much-needed protection and peace of mind to Colorado parents and families,” Gov. Jared Polis said in a statement. “We are all eager for life to get back to normal, and the safe and effective vaccine is helping us move forward.”
Colorado said vaccination numbers now include federal agency data that’s “more accurate.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is now logging vaccination by county of residence instead of the county where the vaccine was administered. The state said that better reflects vaccinations administered by the federal Bureau of Prisons and Department of Defense.
“To get the greatest protection against severe illness, we need Coloradans to stay up to date on their COVID-19 vaccine series,” Jill Hunsaker Ryan, CDPHE’s executive director, said. “The virus continues to evolve every day, but one thing that has remained a constant is that the vaccine is lifesaving. Let’s continue to do everything possible to stay ahead of it and get back to the lives we love and miss.”
Latest COVID-19 vaccine protocol
- Parents and guardians of children ages 5-17 should make a plan to get their children vaccinated.
- Everyone ages 12+ should receive a third dose if it has been more than five months since completing their two-dose Pfizer vaccination series.
- Those ages 18+ should receive a third dose if it has been more than five months since completing a two-dose Moderna series, or should get a second dose if it has been more than two months since receiving a dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.