Billions spent in Colorado from 2020-2021 on treatment for vaccine-preventable diseases

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Over $13 billion was spent treating diseases like measles, influenza and whooping cough.

According to a new report from the Children's Hospital Colorado and Immunize Colorado, over 325,000 adults and nearly 50,000 children made an emergency department visit or were hospitalized for VPD.

The report acknowledges that COVID-19 vaccines were not widely available in 2020 and 2021, so it was not classified as a VPD.