Some Fully Vaxxed Are Eligible For Another Dose

MARIETTA, OH — The Marietta/Belpre Health Department and Washington County Health Department share the latest information on COVID-19.

Live in Marietta? Click here to subscribe to our free breaking news alerts delivered to your inbox and mobile devices. Follow Marietta Patch on Facebook and Twitter, and download our free Patch mobile app on Android or iPhone

Washington County has 5,574 COVID-19 cases, 211 hospitalizations, and 111 deaths to date. Marietta/Belpre Health Department and Washington County Health Department are currently monitoring 184 active cases. Washington County is listed as the 57th county for the highest case rates in Ohio at 230.3 cases per 100,000 in the last 2 weeks. Washington County's COVID-19 PCR test positivity rate is 7.6%.

According to the Ohio Department of Health Vaccination Dashboard, 44.73% of Washington County residents and 51.06% of Ohioans received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, and 41.65% of Washington County residents and 47.19% of Ohioans received all CDC recommended doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.

An additional dose of messenger RNA (mRNA) COVID-19 vaccines now can be administered to a small group of immunocompromised individuals. Other fully vaccinated individuals do not need an additional vaccine dose at this time.

“Immunocompromised people are at a much higher risk for severe outcomes from COVID-19 and may not develop a sufficient immune response from their primary vaccination series,” said Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff, Director of the Ohio Department of Health. “These individuals have a reduced ability to fight infections and are particularly vulnerable now as the more contagious and more dangerous Delta variant is driving a surge in cases. This additional dose, combined with other prevention strategies including wearing face masks, avoiding crowds and maintaining physical distance, offers another important layer of protection for this small but important population.”

Additional Dose Eligibility

The CDC has further defined this eligible population to include:

• Individuals undergoing active treatment for cancer (solid tumor and hematologic malignancies).
• Individuals who have received a solid-organ transplant and are taking immunosuppressive therapy.
• Individuals who have received a CAR-T-cell or hematopoietic stem cell transplant (within two years of transplant or taking immunosuppression therapy).
• Individuals with moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency (e.g., DiGeorge syndrome, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome).
• Individuals with advanced or untreated HIV infection.
• Individuals undergoing active treatment with high-dose corticosteroids (i.e., ≥20mg prednisone or equivalent per day), alkylating agents, antimetabolites, transplant-related immunosuppressive drugs, cancer chemotherapeutic agents classified as severely immunosuppressive, tumor-necrosis (TNF) blockers, and other biologic agents that are immunosuppressive or immunomodulatory.

Washington County has reached “high transmission” of COVID-19, activating the CDC recommendation that all people (including vaccinated individuals) wear a mask indoors. A link to county-level transmission rates can be found here: https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#county-view

The CDC recommends that all people, regardless of vaccination status, wear masks in public indoor settings in areas of substantial or high transmission. While this is not a mandate, our local health departments respectfully request that you observe an organization’s choice to require masks as they decide what is best for community, students, customers and staff.

Indicator - If the two indicators suggest different transmission levels, the higher level is selected

Low Transmission Blue

Moderate Transmission Yellow

Substantial Transmission Orange

High Transmission Red

Total new cases per 100,000 persons in the past 7 days

0-9.99

10-49.99

50-99.99

≥100

Percentage of NAATs1 that are positive during the past 7 days

0-4.99%

5-7.99%

8-9.99%

≥10.0%

Vaccination is the best tool we have to protect you and the public against COVID-19. The COVID-19 vaccines continue to protect against severe illness, hospitalizations, and death. COVID-19 vaccines are widely available, several local sites are offering walk-ins in addition to appointments. Everyone 12 years of age and older is eligible to get a COVID-19 vaccination.

###

This news release was written by Sherry Ellem. Any opinions are the author's own.

Have a news tip or suggestion on how I can improve Marietta Patch? Maybe you're interested in having your business become one of our latest sponsors? Email any and all inquiries to me at christopher.schmitt@patch.com