On Monday, Sept. 13, Gov. Jared Polis gave an update on Colorado’s response to the pandemic and the state’s plans to provide boosters beginning Sept. 20 to people with weaker immune systems.
“Getting the safe and effective vaccine is the best way to protect yourself and your family and to end the pain brought on by this pandemic,” he said.
The federal government has said Sept. 20 is the planned date to begin providing boosters to the general population and in mid-August, Colorado officials advised vaccination providers to offer third doses to immunocompromised Coloradans.
To break down barriers to immunocompromised Coloradans getting their third dose, the state will allow them to self-report their conditions, including simply stating they have a weak immune system due to age and preexisting conditions.
A third dose allows the immunocompromised to achieve the same level of protection from the virus that healthy people have with two doses.
As of Sept. 13, 2.4 percent of Coloradans have received boosters.
More than 75 percent of all eligible Coloradans have received at least one dose of the vaccine and efforts continue to reach every unvaccinated Coloradan. Most people hospitalized due to COVID-19 are unvaccinated.
Information: covid19.colorado.gov/data.
As of Tuesday, Sept. 14, the 80829 ZIP code has had 433 cases, seven more than Sept. 7.
Also as of Tuesday, 960 deaths in El Paso County are being attributed to the virus. The county has had 85,848 cases since March 2020, an increase of 2,114 cases since Sept. 7.
For information on receiving a vaccine, visit www.elpasocountyhealth.org/how-can-i-get-a-vaccine. For information on getting tested, visit www.elpasocountyhealth.org/covid-19-testing-information.