Chris Vanderveen (yep…me) Profile picture
2024 duPont-Columbia Award winner | 2022 Peabody Award winner | 4x @NPPA Reporter of the Year | @9News Director of Special Projects | investigates@9news.com

Nov 2, 2021, 9 tweets

THREAD

Wanna walk you through something I feel is critical right now as state deals with yet another COVID wave

If you or someone you know is 70+, pay attention.

(This centers around question I just asked @GovofCO)

1/

First... Clearly Colorado is in a tough spot.

One of the worst waves in the country right now

Look at hospitalizations. Headed in the wrong direction.

Now in our 2nd worst wave

2/

What's driving this?

Well, clearly, most people ending up in hospitals, even today, are UNVACCINATED

This is latest figure from state

BUT there's more

3/

According to @nytimes, a LARGE driver of patient growth is in the 70+ age range

So what's up?

4/

We do know VAST MAJORITY of people 70+ are vaccinated.

We also know the VAST MAJORITY of those were vaccinated early this year (they were first in line)

NYT says 94% of 65+ have received at least ONE dose

5/

So... what's going on...

Well, we know vaccine effectiveness isn't as good with 70+

State even pointed this out today. Other studies show waning effectiveness w/this group too

6/

What I don't understand is why the state isn't doing everything it can to get this population boosted...

Like... now

When 1 in 55 Coloradans are infectious

This is a CRITICAL time for these folks... Keep in mind, this group is VERY PRO VACCINE

7/

So... I'll do some of this myself.

If you know someone who has been vaccinated and is over the age of 70.. share with them what I've just old you.

As of now, according to @CDPHE roughly 2/3rds of this group has not received a booster. This is hundreds of thousands

8/

Trust me... you don't want to end up in a hospital right now with shortness of breath and a low o2 level b/c you put off that booster appointment by a few weeks.

Talk to your doctor. Get an appointment

And, by all means, consider what a booster might mean in your life.

9/9

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