As vaccinations increase, experts warn not to let your guard down

DENVER — More than 1.1 million Coloradans are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, but public health experts are warning people not let their guard down as we approach the finish line of the pandemic.

“We’re entering a precarious stage in the pandemic,” reads a recent blog from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE). “It may seem like the pandemic is close to being over, but it will take time for enough people to develop immunity. It’s a window of opportunity — for the virus to surge back or for us to finish strong.”

Even as more Coloradans get their COVID-19 vaccines—remember, all Coloradans 16 and older are now eligible for their shot—daily case counts remain stubbornly elevated. As of April 6, the seven-day average of daily cases was 1,262. To put that in perspective, when Governor Jared Polis implemented the mask mandate in mid-July of 2020, the seven-day average of daily cases was less than 600.

The state recently introduced a new COVID-19 dial that allowed many counties, mostly rural ones, to ease their restrictions. But as cases increase, some counties are having to re-implement tighter regulations. Jefferson County announced April 7 that it would be moving from Level Blue to the more-restrictive Level Yellow.

“Unfortunately we are slipping in the wrong direction, and we have seen an increase in the COVID-19 case incidence rate, test positivity rate and hospitalizations in Jeffco,” Jefferson County Public Health Executive Director Dr. Dawn Comstock said in a news release.

“While we wait for our vaccine appointments, we still need to wear our masks, limit our personal interactions, wash our hands, and maintain physical distance,” CDPHE wrote.

As cases have plateaued, the amount of COVID-19 tests have continued to decrease since peaking in December 2020. This makes it difficult to get an accurate picture of COVD-19’s spread in Colorado, according to CDPHE: “Fewer tests mean fewer cases reported, while the ones that are reported tend to be more severe cases.”

Find a testing site near you at this link.

Public health experts have described the country’s position as a race between vaccinations and COVID-19 variants. Colorado is no different.

In order to reach herd immunity, CDPHE predicts that we’ll need anywhere from 67 to 79% of Coloradans vaccinated against COVID-19. As of April 6, approximately one out of five Coloradans, or 20%, are fully vaccinated. A recent analysis from NPR projects Colorado will have vaccinated 70% of its population by August 30.

Meanwhile, highly-contagious variants continue to appear in Colorado. On April 6, CDPHE announced that two residents in Boulder county tested positive for the P.1 variant of COVID-19, also known as the Brazil variant. According to the BBC, this variant is believed to be twice as contagious as the original strain of COVID-19.

The good news is that most vaccines seem to be effective against the known variants, and that vaccine enthusiasm appears to be high in Colorado. A recent survey from CDPHE found that 62% of Coloradans are either already vaccinated or intend to get their vaccine as soon as possible.

Still, there is some hesitancy surrounding the vaccine. CDPHE says 8% of respondents would only get the vaccine if required, and 12% said they would “definitely not get it.”

A recent PBS NewsHour/NPR/Marist poll found that the group most hesitant in getting the vaccine is Republicans. According to that poll, 41% of Republicans they won't get a COVID-19 vaccine.

“This is 35 million people,” said GOP strategist Frank Lutz in an interview with NewsHour’s Yamiche Alcindor. “How are we going to get our country into this herd immunity if 35 million people won't take the vaccine for political reasons or partisan reasons or Washington reasons?” 

Rocky Mountain PBS has aired a series of town hall discussions with public health experts who answer common questions about COVID-19 and the vaccines. You can watch them all in the video player below.