DENVER (KDVR) — Health officials are pleading with Coloradans to be more aggressive in getting the COVID-19 vaccine as demand flattens.
Gov. Jared Polis all but begged Coloradans on Tuesday to get their vaccine. He spoke specifically to those Coloradans who have put the vaccine off due to the complication of booking an appointment, fears of side effects or a desire to let more at-risk groups get their vaccines first.
“It’s your turn,” Polis said. “No more excuses.”
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment says it tracks incoming vaccines but that those number shift so quickly it is difficult to get a real-time accounting of vaccine supply.
Their records do clearly show, however, that demand for the vaccine is indeed going down in Colorado.
Raw totals are dropping from their height.
The number of daily vaccinations has been going down for roughly 10 days from a height of 61,500 vaccines per day on April 13.
Daily vaccinations have gone down before at about the same rate, but those previous issues related to supply and logistics problems. This time, the state has more than ample supply of the vaccine, which suggests a drop in the intensity of demand.
Going deeper, the daily increase in the total number of vaccine administered across the state has gone down.
Early on, the daily number of vaccines increased rapidly. Colorado had 28% more total vaccines administered on December 23 than it had the day before.
Over time, that daily increase in total vaccinations dropped.
On April 20, the state’s total number of vaccines only increased 1.34% over the next day.
Weekly totals say late April’s demand is growing at its slowest pace ever.
The week ending Jan. 9 experienced a 92% increase in the number of vaccines administered. The week ending April 17 only experienced a 12% increase – still an increase, but the smallest weekly percentage bump since vaccination started.