Denver Public Schools has kicked off a free vaccination campaign this school year — one that uses staff who speak the languages and are familiar with the cultures of the students they serve.
The campaign began this month, Hispanic Heritage Month, targeting schools, some of them with fewer than 60 percent of children vaccinated. Colorado as a whole ranks 34th in the nation for children 35 months of age who’ve completed recommended vaccines.
The program — called One School, One Vaccine at a Time — works closely with school districts and providers to address vaccine hesitancy and ensure access to routine childhood immunizations. The partnership includes the district, State Department of Public Health and the Environment, and Julissa Soto, the CEO of Latino Health Equity Consulting.
"These partnerships are essential to break down barriers to vaccine hesitancy and improve access to care for students and families,” said Denver Public Schools Superintendent Alex Marrero.
Certain vaccines are required by law for children attending school to prevent the spread of vaccine-preventable diseases. Colorado law also allows parents to exempt their children from school-required immunizations on medical or nonmedical grounds.
Cultural validation is the approach for the new vaccination program
For the low-income families she works with, Soto doesn’t see vaccine hesitancy. It’s a matter of access.
“A lot of these families don't have access to care and or don't know how to navigate the healthcare system,” Soto said. “We need to meet people where they're at if we want to be equitable.”
A key aspect of the program is its cultural validation approach, which acknowledges and respects the diverse cultural backgrounds within each school community.
Multilingual teams carry out cultural research on the demographics of each school and then host clinics at the school where students and their families can get vaccinations. Those provide wellness education, immunization and information about other community-based resources.
The vaccination clinics take place after hours at the school when families are available from 4 -7 or 8 p.m. Soto makes getting shots fun. She calls them “vaccine parties” and provides entertainment such as the Soul Penny Circus with clowns, puppets and games.
Immunizations offered include MMR (measles, mumps and rubella), COVID-19, DTap (diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis, or whooping cough), flu and many others.
How DPS vaccination rates compare to other districts
The district has an 86.6 percent vaccination compliance rate, compared to the Boulder Valley School District’s 97.1 percent or Douglas County’s 97.2 percent.
But it’s better than some other districts, like Aurora's 82.4 percent or Sheridan's 81.5 percent. The state has a 92.5 percent compliance rate but health officials say it needs 95 percent for population protection.
Families can look up vaccination compliance rates by school, district, or college here.
Some individual schools in DPS have very low rates. Vaccination clinics are being held this month at several of those: Ashley Elementary (56.9 percent), Monroe Elementary (54.1 percent), and Denver Green School (66 percent.)
