Raise Vaccination Rates in Colorado!

Just 50 years ago, before the advent of a vaccine, hundreds of Americans died of measles each year. Today, measles — one of the most contagious diseases known to man — along with many other vaccine-preventable illnesses, is once again threatening our communities.

In Colorado, we are ripe for an outbreak.

Colorado ranked at the bottom of 49 states in a recent CDC survey for rates of vaccines among kindergarteners for diseases including measles, mumps, chickenpox and whooping cough. About 88 percent of Colorado kids got those shots; the CDC goal is 95 percent. These lower rates put our state's kids at risk. 

Vaccines are not just important for protecting ourselves, but also our entire community. Many people can't get vaccines because their immune system is compromised, or they are too young. This means the elderly, people with serious illnesses, and very young babies are counting on our herd immunity to protect them.

There are decades of research that support the safety of vaccinations. However, recently the World Health Organization dubbed "vaccine hesitancy" as one of the top global threats of 2019.

Urge your legislators to work for higher vaccination rates for our state's kids to protect against an outbreak!