Town Of Dedham: A Message From The Board Of Health - September 10, 2021

Press release from the Town of Dedham:

09/10/2021 8:30 AM

The Board reports that as of Thursday, September 9th, there have been 2,630 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Town. This is an increase of 43 cases from last week’s update. Currently, there are 48 active confirmed cases.

COVID-19 Vaccine

According to State data as of September 2, 2021, 64% of Dedham residents are fully vaccinated for COVID-19, which is a total of 17,475 residents. This is an increase of 2% since the end of July. Most of the residents vaccinated since July have been between the ages of 12 – 19 years old. Below please find a graph of the percentage of Dedham residents fully vaccinated by age. (Click on the graph below to enlarge)

The Board encourages anyone who is eligible and unvaccinated to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Anyone 12 years and older is eligible for the vaccine. The vaccine is safe, free, and effective – even against the Delta variant. Getting vaccinated will help Dedham get back to normal.  Go to Vaxfinder.mass.gov or contact your local pharmacy or healthcare provider for information about getting the vaccine. 

Booster Dose for the General Public

More guidance from federal and state authorities is needed before administering booster shots to the general public.  A booster for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine has not been recommended at this time. The Board will continue to update residents as more information becomes available.

Board of Health Vaccine Clinics

Currently, there are no scheduled COVID-19 vaccination clinics through the Board of Health. When more guidance about booster shots is available, the Board will look into holding clinics. Flu clinics are in the process of being planned. The Board will send out notification once the flu clinic schedule has been finalized. 

MassNotify

MassNotify is a tool that works through smartphones to privately alert users who may have been exposed to COVID-19. You can enable MassNotify on your iPhone or Android phone to add another tool to our fight against the spread of COVID-19.

• By opting in, your smartphone will share anonymous codes with other MassNotify users using your phone’s Bluetooth.
• MassNotify codes contain no personal information or location data and are completely anonymous.
• If another user you’ve been near tests positive for COVID-19 within a 14-day period, you will be notified. If you test positive, you can easily and anonymously notify others to stop the spread of COVID-19.

Mosquitoes

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health announced two additional Massachusetts residents tested positive for West Nile Virus (WNV). The residents are males in their 50s and 70s and were exposed in Middlesex County. Dedham, along with 37 other communities, has been raised from low to moderate risk of WNV. As always, it is important that Dedham residents take precautions to prevent mosquito bites.

The Norfolk County Mosquito Control District treats all catch basins in Dedham to prevent mosquito breeding. Additionally, you can request spraying in your area by calling the Mosquito Control District at (781) 762-3681.

Click on the infographic above to enlarge (Source: https://doh.sd.gov/diseases/infectious/wnv/)

Stay safe and be kind!

Respectfully submitted by the Board of Health,
Leanne Jasset, Chairman
Mary Ellard, Vice-Chairman
Noreen Guilfoyle, Member

This press release was produced by the Town of Dedham. The views expressed here are the author’s own.