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County health care workers will start receiving COVID-19 vaccine this week

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News comes as 11 more COVID-19 deaths reported in Clayton County in the past week

By Audrey Posten, Times-Register

Clayton County health care workers were expected to start receiving COVID-19 vaccinations this week, according to a press release from the Clayton County Visiting Nurse Association (VNA). 

“The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) has made initial allocations of COVID-19 vaccine available to local public health agencies across the state. The Clayton County Visiting Nurse Association has placed the county’s initial order for 600 doses of COVID-19 vaccine for those in priority groups identified in phase 1-A,” the release stated. 

These doses will be targeted to health care staff with direct patient contact who are unable to telework, who provide services to patients or patients’ family members or who handle infectious materials. This includes those who work in inpatient care, outpatient care or community settings. 

The FDA Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee approved the request for emergency use authorization (EUA) for Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine last week. With full EUA approval, the VNA said Clayton County is scheduled to receive 600 doses of the Moderna vaccine for health care workers at MercyOne Elkader, Guttenberg Municipal Hospital, Cornerstone Family Practice and Medical Associates in Elkader and Monona. Due to the ultra-cold storage requirements of the Pfizer vaccine and the inability of county providers to store it at the required temperature, Clayton County will not receive allocated doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. 

“We are excited to be moving into this phase of vaccine distribution, however, we caution and encourage residents to remain diligent in practicing public health recommendations. This is just the beginning, and we have a long way to go before the vaccine will be available to the general public,” said Stacey Killian, director of the Visiting Nurse Association. “To protect our local health care system and our most vulnerable residents, we need to do our part to continue slowing the spread by wearing a mask, social distancing, hand washing and staying home when ill.”

Staff and residents of long-term care facilities are also included in phase 1-A and will receive their vaccine doses through pharmacy partnerships set up by the federal government. The partnership created by the federal government will allow facilities to partner with a pharmacy chain, such as CVS or Walgreens, to have COVID-19 vaccine brought in and administered at the facility for both residents and staff. These vaccinations are anticipated to begin the week of Dec. 28, noted the press release.

Vaccinations for the general public are not expected to be available until spring 2021. 

“We ask for the public’s patience as we move through priority groups as identified by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). Information on vaccine availability for the general public will be shared as it becomes available,” Clayton County VNA said. 

On Dec. 16, the federal government notified IDPH that the state of Iowa, as well as all other states, will not receive the volume of vaccine initially anticipated. 

“It appears our allocation may be reduced by as much as 30 percent, however, we are working to gain confirmation and additional details from our federal partners. It will take us some time to work through next steps and adjust our planning,” IDPH said. 

Despite these revisions, IDPH said it is committed to initiating the national pharmacy program for long-term care facilities the week of Dec. 28 as planned, though the original timeline for completion will be impacted.

According to IDPH, Iowa received 26,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine last week, and was slated to get 19,500 doses of the Pfizer vaccine and 53,800 doses of the Moderna vaccine this week. Next week, 19,500 doses of each are projected to arrive.

— — —

This news comes as 11 more COVID-19 related deaths were reported in Clayton County over the past week, with the total rising from 25 to 36, according to data from IDPH.

In the past two weeks alone, the county has recorded 25 deaths.

All other area counties reported additional COVID-19 fatalities over the past week as well, including eight in Dubuque County, two in Winneshiek County and one each in Allamakee, Fayette and Delaware counties.

There have been 3,589 total deaths in Iowa, but none reported on Monday. According to IDPH, 316 Iowans have died as a result of COVID-19 in the past week. 

The number of new weekly cases continues to fall in Clayton County, with 39 COVID-19 infections over the past week. Per IDPH, the county’s total grew from 1,260 on Dec. 14 to 1,299 as of Dec. 21.

Over two weeks, the total has risen by 95 cases. 

According to the Iowa COVID-19 website, which tracks outbreaks at long-term care facilities, outbreaks at local care centers appear to have abated. Of 53 total cases associated with the Guttenberg Care Center, three were reported in the past two weeks. There have been no new cases reported at the Elkader Care Center or McGregor’s Great River Care Center, which both previously saw outbreaks.

Of Clayton County’s 1,299 confirmed cases, 232 are currently active. The county’s 14-day positivity rate, which measures the percentage of positive tests in that span, sits at 14 percent, down two percentage points from this time last week. Over seven days, the positivity rate is 10 percent.

Overall, Iowa has a 14-day positivity rate of 13.2 percent, down two points from a week ago, and a seven-day positivity rate of 10.4 percent.

IDPH said Iowa added 600 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, taking the state’s total to 268,087. That’s an increase of 10,797 confirmed cases from a week ago. 

As of Monday, 644 people around the state were hospitalized, down 120 people from last week. Of those hospitalized, 142 were in the ICU. 

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