CIA feels that it is important for those of us who support science and evidence-based, pro-vaccines policies to establish a positive relationship with our legislators. In Colorado, our state and local officials are receptive to getting to know their constituents and finding out what’s on their mind. One of the best ways to do this is to attend Town Halls that are held by your legislator(s). At these Town Halls, you can not only discuss pro-vaccine and other health related matters, but you can just say hello and talk about or listen to any issue that is important to you and your family. The 2022 Colorado Legislative session is underway and many legislators are now holding town halls. Here are upcoming Town Halls and registration information if you would like to attend. Saturday, January 22, 2022 Join this session here. Session starts at 10:30am. Join here. Reps. Daugherty and Titone represent HD 29 and 27 and Sen. Zenzinger represents SD 19. Sunday, January 23, 2022 Join this session here. Reps. Boesenecker and Kipp represent HDs 53 and 52. Sen. Ginal represents SD 14.
Colorado’s Pro-Vaccine Advocates Launch Nonprofit Organization Colorado Immunization Advocates will continue to advance the work of parents and concerned citizens on behalf of science-based public health policy COLORADO – In the often-contentious discussions around vaccine policy at the Colorado State Capitol, pro-vaccine parents and citizen advocates have long played an important role. Originally organized as an informal grassroots group in 2013 to support the passage of HB 14-1288, a bill to improve school-entry vaccine guidelines, Colorado’s pro-vaccine citizen advocacy group has grown to include thousands of members across the state. Formerly known as “Colorado Parents for Vaccinated Communities,” they are a consistent presence at the Capitol to speak on behalf of the overwhelming majority of parents that vaccinate their families and believe in the science of vaccines.
The pro-vaccine advocacy group has reorganized as a 501(c)(4) nonprofit called Colorado Immunization Advocates (CIA). The focus of the organization is on providing grassroots advocacy education and engaging Colorado’s pro-vaccine majority so that they can speak up in favor of science-based public health policies. “It is so important to have the voices and perspectives of parents who understand and believe in the science of vaccines when looking at policy,” said Representative Kyle Mullica (D-Northglenn), who partnered with a broad public health coalition to pass SB 20-163 last year. “It’s why I am so excited to see the formation of Colorado Immunization Advocates.” CIA’s Board of Directors consists of parent and grandparent advocates that have testified at legislative hearings, shared their personal stories with elected officials, and helped to support other citizen advocates in raising their voices. Elizabeth Fashing, who frequently spoke at the Capitol in her role as a parent advocate, is stepping up to serve as CIA’s Interim Executive Director. “As Interim Executive Director, I hope to use my experience advocating for science-based immunization policies to inspire other pro-vaccine parents to raise their voices for science,” said Elizabeth. “We know that science-based policies are successful in increasing the vaccination rates within communities and I look forward to assisting Colorado Immunization Advocates in achieving that goal.” By CPVC parent Angie Anderson A year ago, no one could have imagined how different the world would be today. Pandemic life is hard: lock downs, capacity restrictions, masks, school shutdowns and online learning, and the worst part—climbing death counts. With a husband who works in the COVID-19 unit of the ICU, I realize how debilitating and potentially deadly a severe case of COVID-19 can be. I don’t want to get this virus and I don’t want to contribute to community spread either. For all these reasons, my family is anxiously awaiting a safe and effective vaccine, which is why I jumped at the chance to participate in a vaccine trial. This summer I signed up for both the Pfizer and Moderna trials online and was excited to hear back from Pfizer. After a couple of screening phone calls (asking about things like overall health, prior COVID-19 diagnosis, lifestyle, etc.), my first appointment was scheduled. The day before the appointment I got an email with multiple documents, the most important a consent form with information on the trial: background info on the mRNA vaccine candidate and the placebo (saline), risks of participation, trial observation period (multiple appointments over 24 months), other expectations (electronic diary to fill out weekly), and more. I spent quite a bit of time reading beforehand to make sure I understood. Once I arrived, I was given a tablet with the same consent forms I’d been emailed along with an overview from the site coordinator to make sure all my questions were answered before I signed electronically. There were a few of us there at once, all masked up and spaced out appropriately, of course. During this appointment I had a full physical exam with a physician (also referred to as the “PI” – principal investigator at the study site), a pregnancy test, a COVID-19 nasal swab test, and a few vials of blood drawn. I must have passed these tests (I’m not pregnant, I haven’t had COVID-19), because I was pretty quickly called back to get my shot. For a bit of background, this trial is a double-blind, placebo-controlled study. To break that down, I’ll start with placebo-controlled: in this trial, the placebo is nothing but saline. Double blind means that neither the PI (the physician at the site, as I mentioned above) nor I know if I got the vaccine or the placebo. There’s a 50/50 chance I got one or the other. It’s important that I don’t know which I got so that neither my behavior nor my perception of potential symptoms is affected. It’s important the PI doesn’t know which I got so that the treatment he gives me, and interpretation of any data, is unbiased. These features of the study and the professionalism of the clinic staff have given me a lot of confidence in the vaccine research process overall. Once I was in the chair and ready to get my shot, I got my phone out to take a selfie, but the nurse quickly stopped me. The vaccine and the placebo actually look different, so study participants are asked to look away during the injection, and photos aren’t allowed. Apparently, the syringe is covered with tape as an extra precaution, but I didn’t see it. Again, it’s important that people don’t know whether they’ve received vaccine or placebo. The injection stung going in, but it was quickly over. I felt very little soreness in my arm and over the next couple of days I felt some fatigue—but I’m a mom of two small children, so I often feel tired (ha). The day after, I ran 7 miles no problem. If I got the vaccine, it affected me very little. I’m going to be honest—if I got the placebo, I’ll be disappointed. I know for the study to be effective they need both a vaccine and placebo group, but I selfishly signed up hoping for the vaccine. If I got the placebo I’m content to be contributing to the research, though, and I still get the first-hand experience—now I understand how the process works. I’m looking forward to making my way through the next steps of the trial, and anxiously awaiting data that shows one of these vaccine candidates are safe and effective. If you’re curious, please consider enrollment in a trial. We need many diverse volunteers to determine if these vaccine candidates work for everyone. Vaccines have helped eradicate and eliminate viruses in the past; let’s hope we can do it again! There are currently COVID-19 vaccine and research studies in progress at both University of Colorado and Children’s Hospital Colorado. For more information on these, contact: JanssenENSEMBLEVaccineCHIP@childrenscolorado.org. For additional information about other ongoing trials, visit https://www.coronaviruspreventionnetwork.org/. Angie Anderson is a Colorado parent and pro-science vaccine advocate with Colorado Parents for Vaccinated Communities. Last weekend a group of angry citizens chose to gather at the State Capitol to protest the Stay-at-Home Order issued by Governor Polis. In doing so they disregarded the social distancing safety protocols designed to protect our communities by limiting the spread of the deadly COVID-19 virus. The protestors asserted that their right to “freedom” to spread infection trumped the rights of their vulnerable neighbors to stay safe and alive.
It should not be surprising to anyone that Colorado’s anti-vaccine groups actively supported, promoted, and participated in the protest. In fact, the protest encapsulates the anti-vaccine movement in a crystal-clear way. Respecting the social distancing rules requires an acknowledgment of scientific consensus over conspiracy theory. It means that we understand that individual actions can have an impact on the health and safety of others around us. It means that we should care about whether the vulnerable members of our society live or die, even if we ourselves might remain relatively unharmed. The dangerously misinformed selfishness at the core of what we saw last weekend -- a crowded protest in the midst of a pandemic -- is also what forms the foundation of the anti-vaccine movement. Over the last several years we’ve seen anti-vaccine activists attempt to cloak this core selfishness when talking with legislators or testifying at committee hearings. They try to present themselves simply as having concerns or questions, using euphemisms like “medical freedom” and “parental choice.” Recently they’ve tried to co-opt the term “consumer protection” in an especially disingenuous attempt to appeal to the General Assembly’s Democratic majority. All of this faux-reasonable posturing is a lie. Right now we are seeing, played out in real time, what happens when we are subject to a deadly contagious disease without the community protection of a vaccine. This is the world that the anti-vaccine activists are lobbying for when they fervently oppose any and all reasonable policies that would improve Colorado’s last-in-the-nation vaccination rates. As Maya Angelou said, “When people show you who they are, believe them.” We hope that the image of angry anti-vaccine protestors, actively endangering themselves and their neighbors, remains in the minds of our elected officials whenever they encounter groups with phrases like “Health Choice” or “Medical Freedom” in their names. As parents and citizens who speak up for science-based public health policies to protect our kids and our communities, we will be sure to remind them. Many thanks to CPVC parent Karli for talking with Dottie Lamm for this piece.
"The good news is that Colorado childhood immunization rates have risen, from only 50 percent of children vaccinated in the 1990s to 75 percent today. The bad news is we could do better. A report recently released by the Colorado Children’s Immunization Coalition found that there are still 17 Colorado counties, many rural, in which less than 50 percent of children are immunized..." Click here to read the full article. Governor Hickenlooper Announces Inaugural Elevation Award Winners. Learn More.
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