The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment will send out text and email messages reminding parents to get kids vaccinated after the start of the school year.

Data gathered by CDPHE shows a decline in vaccination compliance rates compared to last year. 

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The findings show that 86.7% of kindergarten-aged students and 91.8% of K-12 students were in compliance with vaccination standards. This represents a drop of 5.2% and 2.2%, respectively, against the 2020-2021 rates.

The CDPHE doesn’t know what caused the drop in vaccination rates, but said it could be related to a number of factors.

The data gathered by CDPHE used data from 1,338 kindergartens and 1,940 K-12 schools. The data was “de-identified,” which removes all details that could be used to identify the student. The datasets represent 68,253 students and 862,257 students statewide, respectively. 

“We don’t know for certain what caused this decline,” said CDPHE spokesperson Joe Hollomann. “We do know that misinformation is linked to vaccine hesitancy, but we do not know how that has impacted routine vaccine uptake.”

The CDPHE spokesperson said this is the first year of a new process for receiving an exemption from school-required vaccines. This could have impacted non-compliance rates. 

According to a release initially announcing the decline, medical exemptions from vaccinations increased while non-medical exemptions decreased. In the past, the state did not distinguish between personal belief and religious exemptions, now they are both considered non-medical exemptions. 

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If a student is found to not be in compliance with vaccine standards, and has no exemption on file, the school nurse will send an email to their parent(s), legal guardian or student. This will happen within seven days of the finding.

“Students have 14 days after receiving notification to become complaint, or they can continue in school as ‘in process’,” Hollomann said. “This process is all done at the school level, not by CDPHE.”

When “in process,” a student, their parents or a legal guardian must submit documentation of immunizations that have been given and sign a written plan for receiving the remaining immunizations. 

“Compliance” on a vaccination level means students are either fully vaccinated, have a plan to become fully vaccinated or have a valid exemption on file. 

During the 2021-2022 school year, Colorado had about one teacher for every 16 students. With vaccination rates at roughly 90%, one in every 10 students are not in compliance, which means that in a classroom of 20 kids, two may be able to spread viruses to others.

“Routine child and adolescent vaccination is a foundation of public health practice and prevents morbidity and mortality in children and young adults,” the CDPHE spokesperson said. “Reduction of childhood immunization rates can compromise herd immunity, which increases the risk of vaccine preventable disease outbreaks.”

Hollomann cited measles and whooping cough as diseases that are preventable through vaccination. The United States eradicated polio in 1979 through vaccination and worldwide two diseases have been eradicated: A variant of smallpox and rinderpest.

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But vaccines can be expensive. While a hepatitis B vaccination may cost less than $20, the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine can cost up to $80 in the private sector. Combine that vaccination with a dose preventing chicken pox and the cost balloons to over $150, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

The CDPHE does have resources that can help people find low- or no-cost vaccines for their children. The COVax4Kids.org website will also help parents find a provider. 

Other resources, such as vaccine records, exemption and vaccination rates and information on routine vaccinations are also kept by CDPHE. Here is a list of vaccines required by CDPHE.