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About 10% of eligible Coloradans have gotten the omicron booster

Michelle Jackson hoped to be a part of that 10%. She was scheduled to get her booster, but her health had other plans.

COLORADO, USA — According to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, just 10% of eligible Coloradans have received the omicron booster.

The shot is available for anyone 5 years or older who got their most recent COVID vaccine more than two months ago.

CDPHE's Heather Roth said 10% is significant, given the short amount of time the booster has been available.

"The other thing I think that’s promising is that we've seen an increase over the last few weeks," Roth said. "So during the first few weeks of rollout we were right around 6,000 omicron doses given per day, and now we’re almost at 11,000 doses given per day."

Michelle Jackson hoped to be a part of that 10%. The Colorado content creator was scheduled to get her booster at the end of September, but her health had other plans.

"About three weeks ago I was finally in the end stages of planning on getting my booster," Jackson said. "I picked the date I was going to go and disaster struck because I ended up getting COVID the day that I planned on going." 

COVID got to Jackson before a second booster did. It left her with chills, fever, body aches and leg fatigue for weeks. 

Credit: Jaleesa Irizarry

"I still can feel the difference in my legs. It's better -- each day is a little better -- but I can still really feel the difference," Jackson said. "So when I'm finally eligible again to get a shot, a booster, I will." 

Nationally, researchers are concerned about another COVID wave in the coming months. Last week, the World Health Organization announced Europe was entering a new wave of COVID-19.

In Colorado, CDPHE has mobile vaccine buses traveling throughout the state to make the boosters more accessible.

"We want everyone 5 and older who's completed a primary series to go out and get their omicron dose. It’s a simpler recommendation than past recommendations. We’re just talking about one dose very similar to your annual flu vaccine," Roth said. "Trying to make it as easy and convenient for families to find the doses that they need to protect their families."

Jackson hopes people listen to CDPHE's statements and take action. 

Credit: Jaleesa Irizarry
Michelle Jackson said she tested positive for COVID just before she was supposed to get an omicron booster.

"I hope so, but what I hope and reality are two different things," she said with a laugh. 

Jackson believes the United States should take a different approach to getting people vaccinated -- one a little more focused on the person. 

"We should not frame COVID mitigation from a social good standpoint," Jackson said. "We don’t hear it. I think it’s better to be like, 'how do you want to be impacted, and your wallet?'"

"[COVID] could, from a financial standpoint, really harm you in addition to harming your health and well-being. I think that’s unfortunately heard more than, like, 'hey, your neighbor is a sweet 80-year-old lady but if you don’t wear your mask you could, like, kill her,'" she said. "So it’s time to really rethink how we frame this."

For those who have recently tested positive for COVID and are interested in getting the omicron booster, doctors suggest waiting three months after your positive test.

From Sept. 27: About 4% of eligible Coloradans have gotten the omicron booster shot

RELATED: JeffCo Public Health offers incentives for some starting COVID-19 vaccine series

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