DENVER (KDVR) — Regulators from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday authorized the first COVID-19 shots for infants and preschoolers. Vaccinations could begin as soon as next week.
The approval would apply to children between the ages of 6 months and 5 years. U.S. Census records count roughly 337,000 in Colorado under the age of 5, the majority of whom would be eligible for vaccination.
Records suggest Colorado’s children under 5 years old would be vaccinated at a quick clip. According to data compiled by the Kaiser Family Foundation, Coloradans are among the nation’s most likely to vaccinate their young children.
Colorado has the nation’s 22nd-highest number of children under 5. According to the foundation, 24.2% of children 5-11 have been vaccinated with at least one dose, the nation’s ninth-highest percentage.
Rates of child vaccination tend to be highest in New England and the Pacific Northwest and lowest in the Southeast. Vermont has vaccinated 45.6% of its children, while West Virginia has vaccinated only 3.6%.