As of September 9, 2021, COVID-19 vaccines are only approved for children 12 years and older.
News 5 Investigates wanted to know whether there were any cases like this in Colorado.
As of September 8, 2021:
-232 youth were reported to be under 12 at the time of vaccination
-67 of the 232 cases were found to be errors with the date of birth entered incorrectly. These cases involved age-eligible children.
-3 reports were entered as "tests"
-4 reports were "vaccine administration errors" (founded cases of ineligible children receiving a vaccine)
-158 records (cases) currently under investigation by CIIS data quality staff
Source: Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE)
"All COVID vaccine doses administered in Colorado are required to be reported to the Colorado Immunization Information System (CIIS), our state's confidential, population-based, computerized system that collects and consolidates vaccination data for Coloradans of all ages," a spokesperson for the CDPHE Joint Information Center said. "Twice monthly, CIIS data quality staff run reports to identify anyone younger than 12 at the time of vaccination with a COVID vaccine on their record. CIIS staff then contact the vaccine provider directly to verify whether the vaccine was actually given. Often times, the dose was given to an eligible child and the date of birth was wrong in CIIS."
According to the spokesperson, if a vaccine is found to have been administered to an ineligible child, the issue will be documented as a "vaccine administration error" to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System.
FAQ's and Transparency Report:
Do minors under the age of 18 need parental consent to receive a COVID-19 vaccine?
Yes, children 12-17 who wish to receive a vaccine will need consent from either a parent or guardian.
"For many providers, parents/guardians do not need to be present for the vaccination as long as consent is documented prior to the vaccination service," a CDPHE joint information center spokesperson said. "However, they should check with their vaccine provider to confirm."
Consent can be collected through the COVID-19 Vaccine Screening and Administration form here.
Q: How accurate is the data provided in this web article?
A: The above statistics were provided on Wednesday September 8, 2021 to KOAA News 5 via a media inquiry.
Q: How quickly will the CIIS data quality staff be able to determine whether the 158 current cases under review are clerical errors or actual errors in which a child under 12 received a vaccine?
A: Our News 5 Investigates team will follow up monthly for updates on this information. This web story will be updated accordingly.
