Polis urging younger Coloradans to get vaccinated, highest infections in teens

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Governor Jared Polis announced Thursday, 11% of Coloradans ages 12-15 have received doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, one week after the group became eligible.

"But that also means we have 89% who haven't been vaccinated. So, we have to keep up the pace," Polis said.

According to the latest state data, infections remain highest among middle and high school-age students.

"You can see that the number isn't too far behind what we saw in our fall wave of illness, meaning that we're continuing to see high hospitalization rates among our pediatric population,"  Epidemiologist, Dr. Rachel Herlihy said.

State leaders also warned about rising pediatric hospitalizations, which are now considered fully preventable.

"We have seen too many hospitalizations and tragically we have seen several deaths reported in Colorado among the youngest Coloradans," Polis said, "including several in the age group that are now fully preventable with the vaccine."

It's one reason Polis said the state is partnering with Children's Hospital Colorado and others on the 'Protect Our Children' initiative, to provide parents and their children with the information and resources they need to get vaccinated.

"While these vaccines are new, this type of vaccine technology has been around for decades and unfortunately misinformation and myths can spread more easily than the facts," Children's Hospital Colorado's Dr. Suchitra Rao said, "I'd recommend families turn to their trusted sources of information, pediatricians as well as primary care providers who know a lot about how vaccines work and vaccine safety."