With so much information on the internet and various social media sites, and amid unprecedented political division, it can be hard to distinguish fact from fiction – especially regarding vaccines. You might feel frustrated navigating the constantly changing information that seems to come at us from multiple sources 24/7. You might be asking yourself: What are the risks vs. benefits of vaccines? What is the best way to keep my family safe and healthy? What information should I believe? We’re here to help untangle the truth from fiction and address some common vaccine concerns.
[Read more…]What Kinds of Vaccines Exist, and How Do They Work to Create Immunity Against Disease?
How Vaccines Work to Create Immunity
In nature, when a pathogen such as a bacteria or virus enters the body, it will reproduce, causing an infection and illness. The body can usually respond to an infection and slowly recover—that is, the body’s natural immune system recognizes the pathogen and fights it off. After the body recovers, some immune cells will remember the pathogen and be prepared to fight it off if it sees it again. This is called infection-derived immunity, or immunity that comes through being infected or sick.
[Read more…]What Does ‘Endemic’ Mean? How Do Vaccines Play a Role?
The COVID-19 pandemic is approaching its third year. More and more states are declaring, “The [COVID-19] emergency is over” and stressing we are moving to an ‘endemic’ stage with the coronavirus. But what does that really mean? And is it truly the case?
Literally, endemic means a disease or condition is “regularly found among particular people or in a certain area.” In today’s context, it would be easy for us to think that ‘endemic’ means something positive. You could take it to mean the pandemic is closing up shop and leaving us alone; that it is letting us get back to the way life was pre-pandemic. Not exactly.
‘Endemic’ is a word in epidemiology meaning only that something follows a pattern (think: seasonal flu) and is therefore more predictable. It does NOT mean a disease is less deadly, or less likely to cause severe illness; it only means the rates of infection are more or less static.
With COVID-19, cases are still rising and falling somewhat erratically; we are lucky to be in a downward trend after the explosive infectiousness of the Omicron variant early this year, but there is no evidence a more virulent strain will not come along next. The World Health Organization (WHO) has said explicitly we are not at the endemic stage of the virus worldwide.
This is particularly concerning in areas around the world with low vaccination rates, most notably countries on the African continent and Afghanistan. Continued spread of SARS-CoV-2 makes additional variants more likely to crop up and spread to other parts of the world (including the U.S.), and those variants are unpredictable by definition. The next variant could be more infectious and more deadly; it could be less infectious and less deadly; it could cause even more breakthrough cases than Omicron but continue to be like a mild cold in vaccinated individuals. In short, we just do not know what will happen next.
Scientists say the data is promising, but it has not stabilized yet. COVID-19 will only be less of a threat when as many people as possible are vaccinated. High vaccination rates will slow the pandemic enough to level out hospitalizations and severe illness, and limit community spread. Even so, this wouldn’t mean COVID has been eliminated—only that it’s more predictable. Even in an endemic stage, 40-100,000 people in the U.S. could die every year from COVID-19. That’s higher than flu, which claims 12-52,000 lives in the U.S. each year.
So how do we handle living with the pandemic moving forward? Even as mask mandates are relaxed in many localities, mask wearing remains a best practice for keeping yourself protected—especially indoors and in crowded areas. We can also make sure we are vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19 and ensure those around us who are eligible (everyone age 5+) are vaccinated and boosted when they’re able.
At a policymaking level, prioritizing equitable access to the COVID-19 vaccine, expanding pediatric doses to the 6 months – 4-year age range when appropriate, and urging individuals to be reasonably cautious when traveling are all common-sense measures we should take.
Over 12,000 Coloradans have died from COVID-19, and that number is still rising. We are still losing nearly 1,000 Coloradans to the coronavirus every month, and in January 2022 alone more than 50,000 Americans lost their lives. What’s more, our health care workforce is facing burnout and staffing shortages at unprecedented rates. Low-income countries have vaccination rates of around 12%—not nearly high enough to offer community-level protection against disease spread. The emergency is not over. Things are looking up from even a few months ago, but that is why it is more important than ever to stay vigilant and keep on the current path. If we do, we can continue to curb the pandemic at mass scale and save lives all over the world—and then one day, maybe, we can call COVID-19 endemic.
The Importance of Staying Current with Your Child’s Vaccinations (Especially During the Pandemic)
Since our organization’s launch over 30 years ago, we at Immunize Colorado have worked to keep children safe and healthy by advocating for and partnering to provide routine vaccinations. Some parents may have hesitations about vaccines, amplified by misinformation online and a natural worry about doing what’s best for their child’s safety. So we’re here to set the record straight about routine immunization: what parents need to know about the safety, effectiveness, and necessity of childhood vaccinations.
Vaccination against infectious diseases benefits each child individually, and benefits every other child in our community, especially immunocompromised children who cannot be vaccinated due to medical reasons. Vaccination has been closely studied for decades and proven safe and effective by clinical trials and widespread usage, and side effects are exceedingly rare. All vaccines recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and required by Colorado law for school and child care entry have been tested extensively and continuously monitored for safety. Unfortunately, there has been an increase in false information about vaccines that claim they are unsafe and don’t work. You may have even heard some of these claims in your circles. These myths about vaccination can seem scary, and having concerns is normal; but it’s important to remember to turn to experts, like your child’s doctor, if you have questions or concerns about vaccination.
The truth is, vaccinations keep children from experiencing the dangerous effects of diseases like mumps, chickenpox, tetanus, polio, and many others. For example, before the polio vaccine was widely used, as many as 57,000 children became sick with the disease each year, and over 15,000 were partly or fully paralyzed, requiring assistance just to keep breathing. Now, cases of polio are rare in the U.S., precisely because of the effectiveness of the polio vaccine.
Unfortunately, the progress we’ve made across the world in eliminating terrible diseases like smallpox and polio is being put at risk. Childhood routine vaccinations have fallen by 60-80% in 2020-2021 across the vaccine schedule because of the COVID-19 pandemic. 72% of kindergartens in Colorado saw a decrease in polio vaccination, with similar rates for chickenpox, MMR, and DTaP coverage. These drops put every child at risk of catching these extremely high-risk diseases and becoming severely ill; even children who are vaccinated are at a higher risk if there’s community spread of any of these diseases since no vaccine is 100% effective. The more children that are vaccinated in a given community, the safer every child is.
Vaccination is the single best decision we can make to protect our children’s health. Given the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s more important than ever to talk to your child’s doctor about getting them back up to date with their immunizations, especially as children return to school and begin to gather again. Regular immunizations should be prioritized for children under 2, who are the most at-risk for contracting dangerous diseases, and during any routine wellness visits throughout childhood and adolescence. Now that the COVID-19 vaccine is available for children 5-11 and teens 12-17, it’s an excellent opportunity to check with your child’s health care provider to make sure they’re up-to-date with all other recommended vaccines.
Further questions? Check out Immunize Colorado’s vaccination FAQ or ChildVaccineColorado.org for answers.
Vaccine Requirements in Colorado: What You Need to Know
Vaccinations are vital to maintaining the overall health of our kids and our communities. Unfortunately, Colorado lags behind other states in vaccination rates for child care- and school-aged-children, leaving tens of thousands of kids vulnerable to severe illness from vaccine-preventable diseases. In fact, Colorado ranked 44th in the nation for vaccination rates for kindergartners in 2020. The rate of MMR vaccination in Colorado for kindergartners recorded during the 2019-2020 school year hovers around 91%, lower than the Healthy People 2030 goal of 95%, and low enough to put many of our schools at risk for a potential outbreak–which can prove deadly even to otherwise healthy children. Routine vaccinations have slipped even further since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving children even more vulnerable to vaccine-preventable illnesses. And though vaccination rates have recovered slightly from an initial substantial drop, the number of doses administered from mid-March 2021 through late October of this year was 7.1% lower than that same period in 2019. There’s still work to do to improve and maintain our state’s immunization rates, and vaccine requirements are one tool we have to accomplish that goal.
Recent focus on COVID-19 vaccine requirements has raised questions about the broader place of vaccine requirements in our society. In Colorado, vaccine requirements for school and child care entry have been in place since 1978. Colorado also has flu vaccination requirements for health care providers to help prevent the spread of flu in health settings, and recently adopted moderate COVID-19 vaccine requirements to help curb the spread of COVID-19. These vaccine requirements have helped support vaccination and generally helped to keep deadly diseases like measles and polio out of our schools and communities. For instance, since 2014, Colorado has reported only five cases of measles. One of the major factors affecting childhood vaccination rates in Colorado is the lenient process by which parents can exempt their child from school vaccine requirements.
In Colorado, children are required to be vaccinated before they enter school or child care. However, state regulations allowing parents to exempt their children from these vaccination requirements are incredibly lax when compared with other states. In addition to a Medical Exemption (which all U.S. states allow), Colorado is one of only 15 states to also offer a personal belief exemption, called a Non-Medical Exemption (NME). Previously it required very little effort to claim a personal belief exemption (including a religious exemption) from school immunization requirements. Parents could simply write on a piece of paper—even a post-it note or a napkin—that they wished to exempt their child and their school had to accept it. There was also no way statewide to tell if parents were simply not in compliance (they simply hadn’t submitted their child’s vaccine record to the school) or were taking a personal belief exemption for their child since there was little to no standardization of the exemption process.
In 2020, Senate Bill 20-163 was passed to create an “equal-effort” system, whereby parents seeking an NME are required to submit the same kind of documentation as a parent seeking a Medical Exemption or a parent submitting their child’s immunization records to their school. Parents can no longer submit exemptions via napkin. The legislation created a Certificate of Non-Medical Exemption, which was created and is maintained by the state health department, that needs to be submitted to the school. The Certificate must obtained either from an immunizing provider who signs the form or through completion of an online educational module about vaccination. This Certificate can be completed once for child care, and must be completed again before kindergarten and every subsequent year that the parent still wishes to claim an NME for their child.
Despite this new process, we are still one of the states with the easiest ability to obtain an NME. The ease of obtaining an NME creates an environment where vaccine rates in schools can remain at dangerously low rates, allowing the spread of severe, preventable diseases that parents may not fear as much as they used to—thanks to widespread vaccination and near-elimination of these diseases which historically caused many cases of severe illness and even death. The difficulty we face lies in overcoming vaccine hesitancy or inaction on the part of parents to raise the immunization rates of child care- and school-aged-children.
The fact is, vaccines are safe and they save lives. They prevent diseases, hospitalization and death, and they save the U.S. billions of dollars in direct medical costs. Longstanding, bipartisan vaccine requirements in our state and across the nation have led to historic successes in keeping debilitating and deadly diseases out of our schools and communities.
Immunize Colorado has created a fact sheet to dispel myths about Medical and Non-Medical Exemptions, clarify what is currently required for children to enter child care or school, and explain the enormous benefits to vaccinating children before they start gathering in schools or child care environments where diseases can easily spread. This resource aims to help parents stay up to date on the latest required vaccines in Colorado, while emphasizing the importance of getting children vaccinated and the continued positive impact that vaccine requirements have on our state’s students and communities.
Fulfilling Goals of an AmeriCorps VISTA Immunization Outreach & Education Coordinator During the COVID-19 Pandemic
By Hannah Fryczynski
It’s no secret that for public health professionals everywhere, this last year and a half has been challenging, stressful, daunting, and at times disheartening. The pandemic has taken a toll on Americans in every way possible, including life expectancy and long-term physical and mental health outcomes. It has tested public health agencies’ capacity and resources and revealed all the ways in which public health organizations do not have the support and funding they truly need to respond to the nation’s most important health issues. In more recent times, the challenge has become fighting for the idea of public health itself – to promote and protect the health and wellbeing of all. Public health programs are critical to a nation’s health, whether that be at the national, state, or local level.
Especially in a time like the pandemic, responding to the varying needs of those affected by COVID-19 is imperative — through patient treatment, contact tracing, outreach and education, outbreak response, mental health resources, and vaccine clinics. To be in the public health profession during such unprecedented times is to acknowledge and fight existing barriers and respond to our most vulnerable populations, even when our work is challenged from all directions.
I joined the Immunize Colorado CO-mmunity Corps VISTA program in October 2020 and began my year of service at Garfield County Public Health. There are about 60,000 people in Garfield County, with around 30% of the population identifying as Hispanic. The rural county is bordered by Pitkin, Eagle, and Mesa counties, and we have a large working class in the service and hospitality industry. Towns within the county have differing political and cultural values that impact the work Garfield County Public Health does, specifically related to COVID-19 response. The largest barrier that continues to exist in my county is COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. As CO-mmunity Corps members, our responsibility is to promote education and access to immunizations through the development, implementation and evaluation of immunization activities in the counties we serve. Vaccine hesitancy is the most substantial barrier I have faced in trying to uphold this responsibility, but it has also become my strongest motivator in conducting outreach in the community.
I have taken on various roles in the department, from contact tracing to co-managing our COVID-19 vaccine equity project, to presenting at the Public Health in the Rockies conference. Although COVID-19 response was not included in the original position description, there were capacity issues at my local public health agency when I joined that could not be ignored, and so I jumped in and began case investigation and contact tracing. Case investigation gave me valuable perspective on the diverse community of Garfield County. I learned more about epidemiology in half a year than I ever had before, and took on greater responsibilities working with the Epidemiology team.
With the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccines came the need for outreach and education, and I was more than excited to take on a new role within COVID-19 response that directly related to the goals of being a CO-mmunity Corps member. Each week, our Hispanic Outreach Coordinator and I would host a Facebook Live dispelling myths about the vaccine and answering common questions. We began to create fun and engaging animated videos that promoted important messaging for current public health guidance and information on our social media for both COVID-19 vaccines and routine immunizations.
More recently, there has been an increased need in the community to continue education on the COVID-19 vaccine, especially for healthcare workers hesitant to receive one. I created an educational presentation on the vaccine (including its safety, the science behind it, how it was made and how it works) and have been able to present at multiple long-term care facilities and other organizations in the county with the help of my bilingual colleague. The objectives of the presentation have been to provide a space for people to ask any questions they have about the vaccine and share educational resources, with the overall goal of planting the seed of encouragement for those who have been resistant to the idea of getting vaccinated.
Being a VISTA during the COVID-19 pandemic has been a unique journey; it has shown me how important it is to be able to roll with the punches and pivot to respond to the highest needs of the community. One of the main goals of AmeriCorps VISTA service is to empower individuals and communities, and with the ever-changing landscape of the pandemic, I have continued to go back to this goal time and again. To remain resilient and put service for others above all else has been a grounding mantra. With limited knowledge working in a rural setting, this past year has provided me the opportunity to learn how to reach a community that faces different barriers to accessing essential health services and education. We used the resources available to us to reach as many people as possible and fulfill the goals of the CO-mmunity Corps. This year has demonstrated the need to remain empathetic to community members, even when the pushback to public health interventions feels like it is overpowering the work we are trying to accomplish — especially as AmeriCorps members. As service members, we do not choose the communities we serve; instead we work to promote and improve the health and wellbeing of every person, regardless of their race, socioeconomic background, political affiliation, or location.
I’d like to extend a special thank you to Danielle Dudley and Sara Brainard, who were always open to my ideas and encouraged me to take on the projects I proposed. And a big thank you to Rachel Kappler, Dana Wood, Brisa Chavez, and Yerania Moreno, who worked with me to achieve many of the goals I set out to accomplish throughout my year. My time at Garfield County Public Health has been nothing short of an amazing learning experience and one that I will never forget as I continue on my path in the public health field.
Hannah Fryczynski is an Immunization and Outreach & Education Coordinator, on assignment with Garfield County Public Health through the CO-mmunity Corps AmeriCorps VISTA program.
Colorado’s Top Vaccine Experts Answer Common Questions About COVID-19 Variants, Vaccines for Kids, Vaccine Boosters and More
On September 15, Immunize Colorado hosted two of Colorado’s top immunization experts for a town-hall style panel discussion of the latest updates on the COVID-19 pandemic and vaccination. Panelists Dr. Sean O’Leary, Pediatric Infectious Diseases Specialist at Children’s Hospital Colorado, and Heather Roth, Immunization Branch Chief at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), answered audience questions about COVID-19 variants, COVID-19 vaccines (including potential booster doses and availability for young children), and the status of routine vaccination in Colorado.
In this blog post, we share the panelists’ answers to some of the most common questions about the pandemic, COVID-19 vaccination, and routine vaccination in Colorado, as well as some resources that healthcare providers can use to continue encouraging vaccination in their patient populations.
(Please note that the landscape of the pandemic and vaccination continues to change rapidly; this information is current as of September 24, 2021.)
On Variants
How does the Delta variant compare to previous versions of the virus?
As far as infectiousness, the Alpha variant, which became predominant last winter, was 50% more transmissible than the original strain of COVID-19. The Delta variant is 50% more transmissible than the Alpha variant was. The R0, or average number of cases that will occur resulting from a single infected individual, is between 5 and 9 for the Delta variant, which is higher than what we saw with Alpha and the original strain. Delta is at least twice as transmissible and has made it more difficult to control the pandemic. It’s why we’re seeing a huge surge, particularly in places with under vaccination and places that have fewer protective measures in place.
As far as severity, there have been some studies that say Delta is more severe than previous strains, and some that say it’s less—essentially the science isn’t yet clear. There’s not a huge difference in severity for kids, either. But the focus shouldn’t be on severity, necessarily. Because Delta is far more transmissible, you could argue that it is more severe because it is infecting and hospitalizing a lot more people.
What percent of cases in Colorado can be attributed to Delta?
In Colorado, 99.77% of COVID-19 cases are the Delta variant. It is the predominant strain across the US.
How concerned are you about future variants?
Right now, we are focused on the Delta variant because it’s so highly transmissible. Could future variants become more transmissible? It’s hard to say at this point, but it’s certainly possible. Our biggest concern is getting vaccines in arms because we know vaccines are effective against Delta in protecting from severe illness that’s more likely to lead to hospitalization and death. In fact, there’s an inverse linear relationship when it comes to vaccination rates and hospitalization and death—communities with higher rates of vaccination have lower rates of hospitalization and death, and vice versa.
In essence, the vaccines are doing a great job at keeping people out of the hospital and keeping people alive. The vaccines have been effective against the Delta variant. Breakthrough cases are making headlines but are very uncommon compared to those who are being hospitalized who are by and large unvaccinated.
On Vaccine Boosters
What is the difference between an “additional dose” of COVID-19 vaccine and “booster dose”?
The difference is semantics. We’re still working to determine the best primary series for the vaccine; for immune-compromised folks, the CDC and FDA have determined that two doses of the mRNA vaccines don’t offer enough protection (or stimulate enough immune response) and therefore have authorized a third, additional dose for this population—meaning that the primary vaccine series for immune-compromised individuals is three doses.
A booster dose, however, is the term for an additional dose in people who mounted a sufficient immune response from the first two doses, but whose immunity may have waned over time.
What are the current recommendations for a booster dose for the public, and when might they be available?
The Food and Drug Administration’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) met on September 17 and reviewed Pfizer’s application for booster doses for those 16 years and older. At this meeting, VRBPAC voted unanimously to approve a booster dose of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for those 65+ years and others 16+ at high risk for getting serious ill with COVID-19 or being exposed (such as healthcare workers), noting there is not yet enough data to support boosters for everyone 16+.
The CDC’s Advisory Council on Immunization Practices (ACIP) then met on September 23 to consider the FDA’s decision, and voted to recommend a booster dose of Pfizer’s vaccine for adults 65 and older, residents of long-term care facilities, and those over 50 at risk of getting severely ill from COVID-19 due to underlying health conditions. They also recommended a booster dose for people ages 18-49 with underlying conditions. The CDC adopted ACIP’s recommendation but went a step further to also recommend boosters for people 18-64 who live or work in settings that put them at high risk of getting COVID-19. (These recommendations are only for those who received an initial two-dose series of Pfizer vaccine; these individuals should receive a booster dose six months after their second dose.)
People might be confused by these new recommendations because of news earlier this summer that the White House wanted to make booster doses available to the public staring in September. However, the White House announcement was premature because the science was still unclear regarding the need for booster doses in healthy populations. We now have an official answer from the experts, which is that booster doses will only be needed, at least for now, for certain populations.
With the new recommendation, what is CDPHE’s plan for delivering/administering those doses?
CDPHE has looked at provider capacity to determine how many booster doses they could give per week, compared to booster doses planned based on different booster recommendations. CDPHE has well over enough capacity to vaccinate everyone eligible for a booster dose. They may employ some small vaccination clinics but are unlikely to reintroduce the mass vaccination clinic model.
What do we know about “mixing” vaccine brands for booster doses? In other words, if someone originally received Moderna, should they receive the same for booster dose?
There is not enough information on this, and it likely won’t be sufficiently studied to make a recommendation either way for some time. Right now, the recommendation for immune-compromised folks is to get the same product they got for their first two doses of mRNA vaccine; however, if the same vaccine is not available, they can receive the other brand. There is currently no recommendation for an additional dose of Johnson & Johnson vaccine, but one may come in the coming weeks.
On Covid-19 Vaccines For Kids Under 12
What is the expected timeline for COVID-19 vaccines to be available to those under 12 years old?
On September 20, Pfizer made an announcement that their clinical trial data showed a robust immune response from the vaccine in kids ages 5 – 11. Pfizer is expected to submit the data to the FDA shortly. It will take time for FDA to review the data, so the earliest we might see a formal authorization could be October. Pfizer will likely submit their data for 2 – 5-year-olds in November for FDA review. Moderna is several weeks behind Pfizer, so they may be submitting data for kids under 18 in the coming weeks.
Will the recommendations for the pediatric population be different?
Both Pfizer and Moderna are testing the vaccine at lower doses in the pediatric population, but their vaccine series’ will likely include the same number of doses and the same dose schedule as is approved currently.
Are the vaccines being tested against the Delta variant in pediatric populations? How does initial vaccine efficacy look for pediatric populations?
Right now, Delta is the main variant that’s circulating in the U.S., so the pediatric vaccines are automatically being tested against Delta. However, the trials in younger children are not looking specifically for vaccine efficacy, but rather they’re observing whether the vaccine elicits an immune response and comparing this to the upper age groups in which we know the vaccines are effective.
What should providers do to prepare for vaccinating younger populations with COVID-19 vaccine?
Providers should enroll as a COVID-19 vaccine provider if they are not already. CDPHE has recently announced the COVID-19 Primary Care Vaccination Program, which aims to increase engagement and enrollment of primary care providers in Colorado’s COVID-19 vaccination program by providing financial support to community-based organizations and health care service providers. Providers should also consider storage and handling requirements and prepare to have to store and administer additional doses of vaccine, including routine vaccines, flu vaccines and COVID-19 vaccines. Providers can focus on staff training, particularly in vaccine administration and motivational interviewing strategies to help parents make the decision to vaccinate their kids during office visits.
What are your thoughts/concerns about off-label use of COVID-19 vaccines in pediatric populations?
Safety is the top concern when vaccines is being studied, since they’re given to large populations of healthy people. In the US, we have a reliable process for reviewing and monitoring vaccine safety, and we need to stick to that process; it’s delivered us safe, effective vaccines for many decades. Right now, there is limited safety data on COVID-19 vaccines in younger age groups; until we see a recommendation from the FDA and CDC based on this data, we need to be very careful about giving the vaccines to kids who aren’t yet eligible under current recommendations, as doing so could be dangerous. Giving a young child a dose meant for an adult (or, in this case, meant for a kid over 12) could be problematic. Kids aren’t small adults; their immune systems are different, which is why the dose given to younger kids will likely be smaller.
What parents can do until vaccines are approved for their young children is make sure they’re vaccinated with other routine vaccines!
On Colorado’s School And Healthcare Worker Vaccination Requirements
Does CDPHE have any updates to share regarding the implementation of the new school entry immunization law that went into effect this school year? What proportion of exemptions are coming in through providers compared to the online education module?
CDPHE has a team supporting schools and child care centers in technical assistance for implementing the new law, especially the online module piece. So far, the department has seen 40,925 exemptions come through for 6,800 kids. Of these exemptions, 99% have been submitted through the online module, which means only 1% have been obtained through a healthcare provider. And 99% of the exemptions coming in are non-medical.
What is the new Board of Health requirement for healthcare worker COVID-19 vaccination?
The new requirement mirrors the influenza vaccine requirements that have been in place for years for healthcare workers, both contractors and direct staff. Healthcare workers will need to be fully vaccinated by October 31st. The requirement helps level the playing field across all facilities and will hopefully help to increase uptake at long-term care facilities, which have seen lower staff vaccination rates.
On Routine And Flu Vaccination
Can flu vaccine be co-administered with COVID-19 vaccine, and in the same arm?
Yes! Influenza and COVID-19 vaccines can be administered at the same time, in the same arm. The CDC has determined that the benefits of co-administration of the COVID-19 vaccine with other vaccines outweigh the potential minor risks. Co-administration is being tracked in the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) to continually monitor safety.
How can partners across the state support routine vaccination?
There’s not just one thing that can help increase routine vaccination—there are many evidence-based strategies. These include standing orders for vaccinations, reminder/recall to patients, patient communication and more. Providers should use CIIS to access their patients’ immunization data and see which patients need to be caught up. Engaging in as many of these strategies as possible will help improve routine vaccination.
What is encouraging is that we haven’t, anecdotally, seen a big shift in parents’ attitudes about childhood vaccinations.
On Provider Guidance For Covid-19 Vaccination
How should providers determine if someone is fully vaccinated, especially when administering booster doses?
The best practice is to use the Colorado Immunization Information System (CIIS) when determining someone’s vaccination history. All COVID-19 vaccine doses are required to be reported to CIIS.
Where would you recommend a provider seek guidance or additional input for specific patient situations where the recommendations for vaccination may be unclear for their circumstance?
Providers should carefully read the CDC recommendations on their website; the answers to some of these more specific questions are often included in the guidance. Providers can also consult the infectious disease specialists in their circles to see if they have recommendations.
CDPHE also has public health nurse consultants available. Providers may call 303-692-2700 to be triaged to a public health nurse consultant or send an email to cdphe_covidvax@state.co.us. The CDC also has an email address to which healthcare providers can submit immunization or vaccine-preventable disease related questions: nipinfo@cdc.gov.
Related Resources
- Slides from the Town Hall
- Recording of the Town Hall
- 2020-2021 School and Child Care Immunization Data dashboard for community partners
- 2020-2021 School and Child Care Immunization Data dashboard for parents/guardians
- Immunize Colorado school recognition dashboard
- The Community Guide from the Community Preventative Services Task Force
- COVID-19 Vaccination Field Guide: 12 Strategies for Your Community
- COVID-19 Primary Care Vaccination Program
CO-mmunity Corps Blog Series: Reflections on the COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout in Jefferson County & The Continued Need to Share Information
By Hannah Sullivan
I started serving as an AmeriCorps VISTA member at Jefferson County Public Health (JCPH) in August of 2020. As the end of my service year now quickly approaches, I have been taking time to reflect on my experiences.
COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout – The Early Days
Easily the most exciting event over the past year was the Emergency Use Authorization and subsequent rollout procedure of an effective COVID-19 vaccine (well, technically three vaccines). When this process began in December, it was elating to think that life could potentially return to “normal,” but daunting to ponder the logistics of the mass distribution effort. The biggest challenge during this phase was trying to balance efficiency with equity. It was imperative to vaccinate as many people as possible while working to provide opportunities for people who had been most impacted already by the pandemic, and those facing barriers to access the vaccine. For example, a clinic with 1,000 appointment slots could fill within minutes if it was posted on the JCPH website, but it would be filled by folks with access to the internet, time, and flexibility. To make 1,000 calls and register people without computers would take many more resources.
[Read more…]CO-mmunity Corps Blog Series: Developing Multi-Language, Culturally Responsive COVID-19 Vaccine Messaging Resources for Refugee and Immigrant Communities
By Amy Bell
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of rapid health communications, especially as protocols change quickly as new information unfolds. During the pandemic, this has proved especially challenging for public health in keeping non-English speakers up to date with the latest information.
Dr. Lisa Diamond recently published a paper titled, “Providing Equitable Care to Patients with Limited Dominant Language Proficiency Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic.” Dr. Diamond writes, “We know from years of research that patients with Limited English Proficiency experience disparities in timely receipt of public health messaging, understanding of important health information, and access to insurance and health care.”
As an AmeriCorps VISTA serving at Immunize Colorado in Aurora, Colorado, I wanted to create a project that addressed these language barriers and helped get these communities access to the COVID-19 Vaccine.
[Read more…]Heading Back to School in 2021: Why Getting Kids Vaccinated Early is a Good Idea
By Kate Matlin, Public Health Associate
Since public health stay-at-home orders were announced in Colorado due to the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, fewer parents have been taking their children to routine well-child visits. As a result, Colorado’s already-low vaccination rates dropped even further in early 2020. (For reference, during the 2018-19 school year, Colorado already had the lowest-in-the-nation rate for kindergarten MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccination at 87.4%.) Compared to the number of doses delivered from January to March 15, 2020, doses delivered after March 15 to May were 31% lower for children 0-2 years, 78% lower for 3-9 years, and 82% lower for 10-17 years of age. Although vaccination rates have improved since this initial drop, they have not returned to pre-pandemic levels. And as disease prevention measures gradually ease up over the next year and kids head back to in-person learning, low vaccination rates could leave children vulnerable to diseases like measles.
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