Colorado averaged fewer than 10,000 vaccine doses administered per day over the first week in July, the lowest average since vaccinations began in earnest six months ago.
Discounting July 4, which saw just over 1,000 doses administered on the holiday, the state averaged roughly 8,446 doses per day between June 30 and July 7, the last day that complete data is available. It’s the latest in a steady drop in vaccine uptake here, according to data published daily by the state, continuing a trend that began in early April and has remained consistent since.
Denver’s rate of vaccination, too, has fallen, according to city data. The county hit 70% at least partially vaccinated last month, ahead of President Joe Biden’s July 4 target. But in the wake of that success, dose uptake has continued to drop. Over the seven-day period ending July 8, the last day that complete data is available, the city averaged 918 doses per day. That’s the lowest weekly average since Dec. 17, just when doses were becoming first available and were sharply limited to health care workers and long-term care residents and staff.
The good news is that both Denver and the state as a whole have surpassed 70% of their populations at least partially vaccinated. That threshold is widely said to be the minimum needed to begin achieving population-level herd immunity. Gov. Jared Polis and other state officials have said that the state has reached most of its residents that were motivated to be vaccinated and that the remaining group is a mix of wait-and-see residents and those who are flatly opposed to the vaccine.
As a result, doses administered have slowed significantly. In late May, for instance, the state was consistently topping 20,000 doses per day, which itself was smaller than a third of April’s daily toll. The number dwindled to below 20,000 in June and has continued to fall into July.
“At this point in our statewide vaccination efforts, we know we must keep trying to reach people where they are, offering as much convenience, access, and information as possible to remove any remaining barriers to vaccination,” Jessica Bralish, spokeswoman for the state Department of Public Health and Environment, said in an email.
In a separate email, Cali Zimmerman, emergency management coordinator for the Denver Department of Public Health and Environment, said officials know that “there is still more to be done” in the city.
Though the capital has surpassed 70%, gaps in uptake across demographics remain prevalent.
“For example, when we look at the population age 12-17-year-olds, we see over 85% of those identifying as white being vaccinated, while 35% of the same age group for those identifying as Hispanic/Latino have received vaccine, and 25% and 31% of the Black (non-Hispanic) and Asian/Pacific Islander populations,” Zimmerman said.
Statewide, demographic gaps have improved from previous points in vaccine distribution, particularly the spring. But some disparities still remain: Hispanic Coloradans, for instance, account for 20.2% of the state’s population. But just over 10% have been inoculated.
There are wide disparities across age groups, as well. Every age group over the age of 30 has vaccinated more than their share of the population. But those between the ages of 20 and 29 are still slightly below, and adolescents — between the ages of 10 and 19 — are worse: Those residents make up 13% of the state population, but 8.4% have been inoculated.
When asked if the state was planning any tweaks to its strategy, Bralish, the spokeswoman for the state, said officials “continue to work with stakeholders across the state to develop new ways of reaching Coloradans who have not yet been vaccinated.”
Two of the largest shifts were rolled out over the past six weeks: The first, a pair of incentive programs that offered cash prizes for vaccinations, ended last week without causing a spike in doses. Gov. Polis, who initially touted the success of similar programs in driving up rates, later said that the programs succeeded in preventing an even larger drop-off in uptake.
The second has been more subtle: The state has moved away from its mass vaccination sites and into a more ground-level approach, tapping local providers, who have relationships with patients, as the primary distributors.
In Denver, officials will “continue to work with community partners and community leaders to support messaging about the importance of vaccine and to provide resources for local vaccination events,” Zimmerman said.
“Our partners at Denver Health continue to build strategies for vaccinating young people along with their families through school-based health centers,” she wrote. “And our team at DDPHE is continuing to send our vaccination teams (in partnership with Denver Health) to community events serving those who may have barriers to accessing vaccine.”
This content was originally published here.
