1 In 5 Colorado Kids Now Vaccinated, Highest Rate In West

COLORADO — Colorado has the highest children's COVID-19 vaccination rate among states in the West and the eighth-highest rate in the country, state officials announced Monday.

Around 98,848 kids — 20.6 percent — ages 5 to 11 in Colorado have received their first dose of the vaccine, the Polis administration said.

“It’s great to see so many of Colorado’s kids and parents making a common-sense decision to protect themselves against this dangerous virus by getting the safe and effective vaccine and leading other western states in the process," Gov. Jared Polis said in a statement.

"We need more Coloradans to follow the example set by our young people who are doing their part to help put this pandemic behind us and protect their health so we can get back to enjoying the Colorado we love."

Since the pandemic hit, there have been more than 200 hospitalizations of among children ages 5 to 11, the latest state data shows.

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The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for children is a two-dose series given three weeks apart. The vaccine for kids is a third of the dose used for those over age 12, and is also administered using a smaller needle.

The vaccine for children has been around 90 percent effective in preventing COVID-19, and 100 percent effective at preventing severe disease and death, public health officials said. The vaccine’s safety was studied among 3,100 children ages 5-11 who received the vaccine, and no serious side effects have been detected in the ongoing study, including no cases of myocarditis or pericarditis, researchers said.

Appointments are still available at large vaccination events this week, including:

Fri. Dec. 3: Trinidad History Museum
Fri. Dec. 3: Fort Garland Museum and Cultural Center
Fri. Dec. 3: Cortez Public Library
Fri. Dec. 3: Pueblo Zoo

>> Parents can find upcoming clinics for children on the state's vaccine finder webpage or on Vaccines.gov.