(Pueblo, CO) 7/29/25 – The Pueblo Department of Public Health and Environment encourages families to schedule regular, required, back-to-school vaccines for children.
“Vaccines are the most powerful tools we have to protect children from serious and preventable diseases,” said Justin Gage, Clinic Manager at PDPHE. “Make sure your child stays healthy, in school, and ready to learn and play by keeping them current on their vaccines,” Gage added.
Vaccination rates in many Colorado communities fall well below the community immunity threshold needed to offer broad protection from preventable diseases, like measles and polio. Data for the 2024-2025 school year show DTaP, MMR, polio, and varicella vaccine rates among kindergartners remain below 90% for the fourth year in a row.
Many vaccines are required for school and childcare in Colorado, including measles, whooping cough, mumps, polio, and varicella (chickenpox). There are also several other vaccines that are recommended for children and adolescents but not required for school.
School-required vaccines can be safely given with other recommended vaccines, including flu and COVID-19. Most health insurance plans, including Medicaid and CHP+, cover the cost of vaccines so families do not have to pay anything at providers that accept their health plans. Even families without health insurance can get free or low-cost vaccines for their children.
For an appointment or more information about available vaccines at PDPHE, parents should visit pueblohealth.org or call (719) 583-4380. Appointments can be scheduled online or by phone and are often available within a week or sooner.
Colorado has tools to help families make informed choices about vaccinating their children:
- COVaxRecords.org shows families how to request vaccination records for their children.
- COVaxRates.org makes it easy for families to look up vaccination and exemption rates for schools and child care facilities to make the best decision for their children.
- COVax4Kids.org helps families find out if their children are eligible for free or low-cost vaccines and helps them find a vaccine provider.
- ChildVaccineCO.org has information on routine vaccines.
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