Feb 12
While Colorado consistently appears in national news as one of the nation’s top health performers in a variety of measures, childhood immunization rates across the state tell a different story.
“I miss her. I wish she were here.”
On December 1, 2003, Vira Cover experienced what no parent should have to: the death of a child.
Just a week earlier, on Thanksgiving Day, Vira’s 23-month-old daughter, Elizabeth Terese Cover, caught the H1N1 strain of influenza and developed bilateral pneumonia. During the 2003-2004 flu season, 152 children in the U.S. died from flu. Elizabeth was one of them.
Vira shared her and Elizabeth’s story in an interview with the Colorado Children’s Immunization Coalition.
Vaccines aren’t just for children; adults also need certain vaccines to help protect them from preventable disease over the lifespan. During the adult immunization week of National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM), Rosemary Spence, RN, MA, shares insight into how providers can ensure their adult patients are adequately immunized.
Guest post by Tri-County Health Department
When you think of back-to-school season, you might think about new books, backpacks and binders, but you may not think of vaccines! Colorado law requires students at licensed child care centers and schools to be vaccinated against certain diseases. Many people know that vaccines are recommended for babies, but additional doses are required for kindergarten and sixth grade entry to keep kids healthy and protected from preventable illness throughout the school year. Many colleges also require certain vaccines after age sixteen. More information on which vaccines are required in Colorado can be found here.
