AURORA, Colo. — Some of the youngest Coloradans received their first dose of the Pfizer two-shot regimen, marking the official start of ongoing vaccination appointments that will be made available to children ages 5-11 through a partnership with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and Children's Hospital Colorado.
On Friday, Gov. Jared Polis attended the first vaccine clinic held at Children's Hospital Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.
“If you’re the parent of a 5- to 11-year-old, get vaccinated,” Polis said.
The state and Children's Colorado estimated that come Sunday, 5,000 kids ages 5 to 11 will have received their first Pfizer dose.
Avery, just 9 years old, said she was glad to get her first vaccine.
"Soon, I’ll get the second, and soon I’ll be fully vaccinated,” the fourth-grader said. "I want to get it so I can see my friends and family more and stay healthy and not get this virus."
The expanded vaccine eligibility comes on the heels of a spike in pediatric COVID-19 patients in the state.
“In fact, last month, we had the highest number of children with COVID admitted to our intensive care unit since the beginning of the pandemic," said Dr. David Brumbaugh of Children's Colorado.
Brumbaugh encouraged parents to consider vaccinating their children, praising the vaccine's efficacy in preventing hospitalization and severe illness.
"This is one step forward towards what we all crave for our kids: normalcy." Brumbaugh said.
On Wednesday, 50 children ages 5-11 also received their first Pfizer dose at National Jewish Health.
Polis said pediatric vaccinations are being added to the state's vaccination rate on a rolling basis.