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The vaccination program, called “one vaccine per school,” is working closely with school districts to expand access.
Vaccine Clinic at DSST Cole, August 5, 2021.
Kevin J. Beatty/Denverite
Denver Public Schools launched a free vaccination campaign this school year using staff who speak students’ languages and are familiar with their culture.
The campaign kicks off this month, which is Hispanic Heritage Month, and some schools have fewer than 60% of their students vaccinated. Colorado overall ranks 34th in the nation for the percentage of 35-month-olds who have completed the recommended vaccinations.
The program, called “One School, One Vaccine,” is working closely with school districts and health care providers to address vaccine hesitancy and ensure access to routine childhood vaccinations. The partnership includes school districts, the state Department of Public Health and Environment and Julissa Soto, CEO of Latino Health Equity Consulting.
“Partnerships like these are essential to breaking down barriers of vaccine hesitancy and making health care more accessible to students and their families,” Denver Public Schools Chancellor Alex Marrero said.
To prevent the spread of vaccine-preventable diseases, children attending school are required by law to receive certain vaccinations. Colorado law also allows parents to exempt their children from school-mandated vaccinations for medical or non-medical reasons.
Cultural validation is a new vaccination program approach
Soto said he hasn’t seen any hesitancy among the low-income families he works with to get the vaccine, it’s just a matter of access.
“Many of these families don’t have access to health care and don’t know how to navigate the health care system,” Soto said. “To get to the point where we’re making sure we’re fair, we need to address the situation people are in.”
A key aspect of the program is a culturally validating approach that acknowledges and respects the diverse cultural backgrounds within each school community.
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Multilingual teams conduct cultural assessments of each school’s demographics and then host school clinics where students and their families can get vaccinated. These clinics provide health education, information about immunizations, and other community-based resources.
The vaccination clinics will be held outside school hours when families can come from 4 to 7 or 8 p.m. Soto will make the vaccinations fun, calling them “vaccination parties” and providing entertainment including the Soul Penny Circus with clowns, puppet shows and games.
Vaccinations offered include MMR (measles, mumps, rubella), COVID-19, DTap (diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough), influenza and more.
How does DPS’s vaccination rate compare to other districts?
The district’s vaccination compliance rate is 86.6%, compared to 97.1% in Boulder Valley School District and 97.2% in Douglas County.
But that’s better than other districts, including Aurora at 82.4% and Sheridan at 81.5%. The state has a 92.5% compliance rate, but health officials say 95% is needed to protect residents.
Families can find out vaccination adherence rates by school, district and college here.
Some schools in DPS have very low rates of vaccination, and several schools will be hosting vaccination clinics this month, including Ashley Elementary (56.9%), Monroe Elementary (54.1%) and Denver Green School (66%).
