Thousands of Coloradans have missed or skipped their second vaccine appointment
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- The Centers for Disease Control estimates 8% or 5 million Americans who received their first Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine have missed or skipped their second vaccine appointment.
In Colorado, state health officials say the data shows 62,505 Coloradans have not received their second COVID-19 vaccine within the recommended time frame. According to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, that accounts for 2.8% of Coloradans who received the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine.
"It is possible that some of these individuals received their first or second dose out of state or through one of the federal entities which don’t report into CIIS (e.g., Department of Defense, Veterans Affairs, Bureau of Prisons) -- and are actually fully vaccinated," a CDPHE spokesperson said.
State health officials say that 1.7 million Coloradans have been fully vaccinated so far. CDPHE says it is doing outreach to individuals overdue for their second dose and are running a campaign to combat vaccine hesitancy.
"It’s important that people receive both doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines in order to achieve maximum protection. If it isn’t possible to get the second dose on the right day, the second dose can be given as late as 42 days (6 weeks) after the first dose and still provide the same level of protection. There is not a lot of data on how well the vaccine will work if given outside of the grace period. But if the second dose is accidentally given outside the grace period, there is no need to restart the vaccination series," a CDPHE spokesperson said.
The state encourages vaccine providers to administer the second dose for those who received their first dose somewhere else. CDPHE said some vaccine clinics are holding second-dose clinics and that Community Vaccination Sites are also accommodating second doses for those that another provider vaccinated.
For more information on the COVID-19 vaccine, people can call 1-877-CO VAX CO (1-877-268-2926) 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
