The parents of CIA vaccinate our children for their own health and safety, as well as the health and safety of our community. Community immunity (also known as “herd immunity”) is achieved when a critical portion of the population has been vaccinated, thereby protecting vulnerable individuals by greatly reducing the risk of an outbreak. Community vaccination rates are a crucial element of public health. In other words, vaccination is not just a personal choice.

It is more important than ever to insist on evidence-based policy decisions.

 When it comes to public health policies that affect over 5 million people across our state, we have a right to insist that decisions are made based on science. Colorado’s lenient exemption policies have resulted in low vaccination rates and an increased risk to public health. For example:

• Colorado ranks 14th among U.S. states for childhood immunizations, with over 24 percent of children under-immunized at 36 months of age. 
• Statewide, vaccination rates hover under 80 percent. Some Colorado counties exceed that rate, but most – including both urban and rural counties – have estimated vaccination rates that are much lower. 
• In 17 of 64 Colorado counties, less than 50 percent of children were up-to-date on routine immunizations in 2015. Only five Colorado counties – Hinsdale, Kit Carson, Kiowa, Prowers and Baca – meet the Healthy People 2020 vaccination goal of 90 percent coverage.
• Measles Mumps Rubella (MMR) vaccine coverage among 19-35 month-old children was only 88.9 percent in Colorado in 2014, well below the 92-95 percent levels required to achieve herd immunity.
• Colorado ranks last in the Nation for kindergarten vaccination rates. 
• Individual on-time vaccination completion rates vary dramatically in young Colorado children, ranging from 10% to 30% non-compliance in children 36 months of age or less for common vaccines, implying that barriers – whether voluntary or involuntary – exist.
• In 2015, 4,719 children were hospitalized or when to an emergency room for vaccine-preventable diseases, resulting in over $35 million in charges. Among children in Colorado who were hospitalized for vaccine-preventable disease, 66.5 percent were four years of age or younger.
• While vaccination coverage improved for some childhood immunizations from 2014 to 2015, more than 25 percent of all 7-month-old infants in Colorado are still behind in vaccinations to prevent tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis (DTaP) and pneumococcal disease (PCV). Pneumococcal disease and pertussis were the second and third most common reasons young children were hospitalized for vaccine-preventable disease in 2015.
• In one year, vaccination prevented more than 8,600 hospitalizations and over $400 million in hospitalization charges among children in Colorado.
• Approximately 4.3 percent of Colorado kindergartners are exempt from one or more school-required vaccines, resulting in almost 3,000 students lacking protection from preventable diseases.
• Colorado ranks 7th highest among all states for exemption rates among kindergartners. 95 percent of exemptions claimed in Colorado are for non-medical reasons. 

To learn more about Colorado’s vaccine rates, how we compare to other states, and how this affects us, check out this interactive map titled “Child Vaccination Across America.”

​Some people cannot receive some or all vaccines and/or are especially at-risk of vaccine-preventable diseases, such as newborn babies, pregnant women, children and adults who have a chronic illness, and the elderly. Pockets of low vaccination create an environment where infectious disease can take hold and spread, putting all of us -- particularly the most vulnerable in our community -- in danger.

You can read more about why Colorado families vaccinate and why vaccination rates are important to them on our Stories page. You can also visit “Team Vaccine” at CCIC or "Why I Choose" and the Blog at Voices for Vaccines.