COVID-19 case rates in Jefferson County remain high since a rapid increase several weeks ago, and three more community members have died as a result of the coronavirus, officials report.
The Jefferson County Health Department has announced that the total confirmed cases reported over the last seven days is 112, or 132.3 per 100,000 population. The death toll now is 34.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted full approval and licensure to the first COVID-19 vaccine for individuals 16 years of age and older.
The vaccine has been known as the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine and will now be marketed as the Comirnaty (koemir’-na-tee) COVID-19 vaccine. It also continues to be available under emergency use authorization (EUA), including for individuals age 12-15 and for a third dose in certain immunocompromised individuals.
The Moderna and Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) COVID-19 vaccines may continue to be administered safely to individuals 18 years of age or older.
The Jefferson County Health Department strongly encourages all eligible community members to get vaccinated and help protect their families and community, according to a news release issued by county health department director Gail Scott and epidemiologist Samroz Jakvani.
“The FDA’s approval of this vaccine should reassure anyone who has concerns about getting vaccinated and it also is a milestone in the COVID-19 pandemic that puts us one step closer to permanently altering the course and severity of this pandemic in Wisconsin,” they said, adding: “Millions of people have already safely received this COVID-19 vaccine and others that have met the FDA’s rigorous, scientific standards for emergency use authorization.”
“As the first FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccine, the public can be even more confident that this vaccine meets the high standards for safety, effectiveness, and manufacturing quality the FDA requires of a licensed product,” the health officials continued.
The FDA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have monitoring systems in place to ensure that any safety concerns continue to be identified and evaluated in a timely manner, they said.
To find a COVID-19 vaccination site, visit www.vaccines.gov, text your zip code to 438829, or call 211. Persons also may call (844) 684-1064 or (800) 232-0233.
Many pharmacies (Walgreens, CVS, Walmart, and local pharmacy chains) may offer walk-in vaccinations. Always call ahead to ensure availability.
Gift card for first shot by Labor Day
In related news, Gov. Tony Evers and the Wisconsin Department of Health Services have announced that residents who get their first dose of any COVID-19 vaccine from an in-state provider through Labor Day, Sept. 6, can receive a $100 Visa Gift Card.
Residents ages 12 and over are eligible for the reward, which may be requested by going to the Reward Sign-up page. Proof of insurance, citizenship or ID is not required to be eligible for or to receive the $100.
“Data continue to show that COVID-19 vaccines do their job by preventing severe illness, hospitalization, and death,” officials said. “In July, people who were not fully vaccinated were nearly three times more likely to test positive for COVID-19, and 3.7 times more likely to be hospitalized for COVID-19-related illnesses.
“The COVID-19 vaccines remain one of the best ways to protect yourself, your family, and your community from COVID-19 and the highly infectious Delta variant,” officials added.
In order to receive the reward, Wisconsinites must:
- Have received their first COVID-19 vaccine between Aug. 20 and Sept. 6.
- Submit the request for the $100 Visa Gift Card on the DHS Reward Sign-up page.
Information submitted in the online form will be used to verify vaccine administration. Visa cards may take up to six weeks to be mailed to participants. A second-dose administration is not required for the award, but it is vital that individuals complete their vaccination series to get the best protection from COVID-19, officials noted.
All vaccines currently approved for use in Wisconsin are eligible for use with the incentive program. For more information on the incentive program, visit the DHS $100 reward webpage or call (844) 684-1064 (language assistance is available).
Booster shots might start in late September
Meanwhile, beginning the week of Sept. 20 and starting eight months after an individual’s second dose, individuals who were fully vaccinated earliest in the vaccination rollout, including many health-care providers, nursing home residents and other seniors, likely will be eligible for a booster.
The CDC and FDA said this refers mainly to the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, which include the Moderna and Pfizer/Comirnaty COVID-19 vaccines.
Booster shots likely will be delivered directly to long-term care facilities at that time, given the distribution of vaccines to their resident population early in the vaccine rollout and their increased risk from COVID-19.
It also is anticipated that booster shots likely will be needed for people who received the Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) vaccine. Administration of the J&J vaccine did not begin in the U.S. until March 2021, and more data on the J&J vaccine is expected in the next few weeks.
Health officials said that the offering of booster doses is subject to the FDA conducting an independent evaluation and determination of the safety and effectiveness of a third dose of the Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccines and CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) issuing booster dose recommendations based on a thorough review of the evidence.
Recommendations regarding administration of additional doses for immunocompromised individuals and administration of COVID-19 vaccine to individuals aged 17 and younger remain exclusively approved under EUAs. It is not yet known whether the recommendation for booster doses will be included in the EUA, or if they will be recommended as part of a fully approved, licensed COVID-19 vaccine product.
The Jefferson County Health Department (JCHD) will keep the public informed with updates for booster shots, any additional recommendations for COVID-19 vaccination, and how to get vaccinated.
Jefferson County does not intend to hold mass vaccination clinics due to a robust network of vaccinators that did not exist earlier in the year, officials said. Additionally, there is not a clear urgency to administer additional or booster doses as there was an urgency to begin administration of COVID-19 vaccine earlier in the year.
The department will continue to monitor and ensure access to vaccination for all residents, Scott and Jakvani said.
The above charts have been provided by the Jefferson County Health Department.
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