By Hannah Fryczynski It’s no secret that for public health professionals everywhere, this last year and a half has been challenging, stressful, daunting, and at times disheartening. The pandemic has taken a toll on Americans in every way possible, including life expectancy and long-term physical and mental health outcomes. It has tested public health agencies ..read more

On September 15, Immunize Colorado hosted two of Colorado’s top immunization experts for a town-hall style panel discussion of the latest updates on the COVID-19 pandemic and vaccination. Panelists Dr. Sean O’Leary, Pediatric Infectious Diseases Specialist at Children’s Hospital Colorado, and Heather Roth, Immunization Branch Chief at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment ..read more

By Hannah Sullivan I started serving as an AmeriCorps VISTA member at Jefferson County Public Health (JCPH) in August of 2020. As the end of my service year now quickly approaches, I have been taking time to reflect on my experiences. COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout – The Early Days Easily the most exciting event over the ..read more

By Amy Bell The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of rapid health communications, especially as protocols change quickly as new information unfolds. During the pandemic, this has proved especially challenging for public health in keeping non-English speakers up to date with the latest information. Dr. Lisa Diamond recently published a paper titled, “Providing Equitable ..read more

By Kate Matlin, Public Health Associate Since public health stay-at-home orders were announced in Colorado due to the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, fewer parents have been taking their children to routine well-child visits. As a result, Colorado’s already-low vaccination rates dropped even further in early 2020. (For reference, during the 2018-19 school year, Colorado ..read more

Since the first COVID-19 vaccines became available, healthcare professionals, community workers, and politicians alike have been urging anyone eligible for a vaccine to get one. With cases still circulating in the U.S. and new variants threatening to worsen conditions, mass vaccination appears to be the best way out of the pandemic.  There are currently three ..read more

Communities of color have borne the brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic, having disproportionately high case, hospitalization and death rates across the U.S. and in Colorado. This disparate impact on communities of color is in large part due to systemic health inequities fueled by past and ongoing racism. Racism in the medical field has led to ..read more

By Amy Bell February is Black History Month—a time meant to celebrate the achievements of Black Americans and honor the significant impacts they have had on all facets of life throughout U.S. history. As we witness the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine in Colorado, it is important to recognize that the development of this critical ..read more

By Ellie Dullea Healthcare workers play an essential role as trusted vaccine advocates in the community. In a 2017 survey of 400+ Colorado parents, medical doctors were found to be the most influential factor in parents’ plan for their children’s immunizations. Similarly, immunization providers will play a vital role in increasing COVID-19 vaccination rates by ..read more

By Olwen Menez The CO-mmunity Corps blog series highlights the incredible work that members of the CO-mmunity Corps (Immunize Colorado’s AmeriCorps VISTA program) are doing across Colorado to build capacity for immunization programs. On August 3rd, I started my first day as an Immunization Outreach and Education Coordinator at Jefferson County Public Health, the county agency ..read more