Colorado short on the COVID doses it may need with fourth booster
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About 1 million Colorado adults are eligible for a fourth shot of the COVID-19 vaccine, but we don't have enough doses for them all for now.
Driving the news: The FDA authorized the additional dose for those ages 50 and older and immunocompromised people.
- The CDC also allowed a second Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccine for those who initially received a Johnson & Johnson shot.
Why it matters: The choose-your-own-adventure vibe of the pandemic response is spreading to booster shots, Axios' Caitlin Owens writes.
- Many experts say the FDA's move makes sense as a precautionary measure, but the policy could create more confusion around the long-term vaccination strategy.
Zoom in: Colorado public health officials said they have an estimated 470,000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines on hand.
- 723,000 people ages 50 and older are four months out from their first booster and now eligible for a fourth shot. In the coming months, the number rises to more than 1 million.
- The Polis administration urged Congress to spend more to secure and distribute additional vaccines.
By the numbers: Despite a precipitous decline, Colorado is now seeing an increase in coronavirus cases, with 21% identified as the new Omicron BA.2 variant, state epidemiologist Rachel Herlihy told reporters this week.
- About 51% of those who are eligible in Colorado have received a booster.
- Just under a million residents are unvaccinated.
Be smart: Find places to get vaccinated