Phillips County leads northeast Colorado in COVID vaccination rates

Phillips County has the highest percentage of eligible people who have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose of all northeast Colorado counties, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

Approximately 59.2% of the population 12 and over in the county — about 2,159 people — have received at least one dose. Second-highest is Sedgwick at 54.2%; Morgan, 54.1%; Yuma, 49.9%; Logan, 43.6%; and Washington, 34.4%.

As of Monday, Sept. 27, the Northeast Colorado Health Department  reported that 1,969 people in Phillips County have been fully vaccinated, meaning they’ve received both doses of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine or one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

As of Monday, the World Health Organization reported a total of 231,551,680 confirmed cases and 4,743,708 deaths worldwide since the onset of the pandemic. A total of 5,874,934,542 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in that time.

In the U.S., there have been 42,770,371 total cases and 684,884 total deaths. The latter figure has surpassed the estimated 675,000 deaths that occurred in the U.S. during the 1918 influenza pandemic, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

At this time last year in Colorado, there had been 69,490 total cases in all 64 counties, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Prior to that point, Kiowa County had been the only Colorado county with no reported incidents of COVID-19. At that time, there had been 1,945 COVID-19 deaths in the state.

As of Monday, Sept. 27, there have been a total of 660,884 cases in Colorado since the onset and 7,472 deaths.

There were 881 confirmed COVID-19 patients hospitalized in Colorado at that time, 719 of whom were unvaccinated. Data from that same day showed that 46% of adult critical care ventilators were in use.

Over 7.2 million total doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in Colorado, and over 3.7 million Coloradans have received at least one dose.

At the end of last September, NCHD reported a total of 1,859 cases and 56 deaths in its six-county region. As of Monday, Sept. 27, NCHD reported a cumulative total of 8,182 cases and 211 total deaths, excluding the incarcerated population.

Monday’s data shows there were five confirmed COVID-19 hospitalizations and four that were suspected cases within the district. There were 13 available adult critical care ventilators and six ICU beds available at that time.

The data from a year ago shows that Phillips County had 34 cumulative cases and no deaths. Current information shows a total of 467 cumulative cases have been confirmed in Phillips County, with 14 deaths.

NCHD reported one person currently hospitalized with COVID-19 in Phillips County and four adult critical care ventilators available as of Monday. A total of 47 Phillips County COVID-19 hospitalizations have occurred since the pandemic’s onset.

NCHD estimated that there were 365 active cases in its six-county health district as of Monday, with Phillips County having 29. CDPHE reported 13 cases of the delta variant in Phillips County.

Pfizer booster shot approved by CDC for at-risk groups

A CDPHE press release reported that on Friday, Sept. 24, the CDC officially recommended Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine booster shots for people at higher risk for COVID-19.

Booster doses should be given at least six months after their Pfizer-BioNTech primary series. The updated CDC guidance recommends Pfizer booster shots for people 65 and older, residents in long-term care settings and people aged 50-64 with underlying medical conditions.

The recommendations also state that people aged 18-49 with underlying medical conditions and people aged 18-64 who are at increased risk for COVID-19 exposure and transmission because of occupational or institutional setting may receive a booster shot of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine based on their individual benefits and risks.

“This booster dose authorization is an important step in ensuring Coloradans most at risk for severe COVID-19 outcomes have the greatest protection possible,” said Scott Bookman, COVID-19 incident commander. “We have the capacity across the state to administer these doses while continuing to offer first doses to the unvaccinated and second doses to those who have received only one dose.”

These recommendations apply to individuals who received Pfizer-BioNTech for their first two vaccine doses at least six months ago. This announcement allows Pfizer-BioNTech booster shots to be given immediately to anyone eligible.

People who received a Johnson & Johnson/Janssen or Moderna vaccine should continue to wait for more information. More data on the effectiveness and safety of Johnson & Johnson/Janssen and Moderna booster shots are expected in the coming weeks.

The state has enough vaccine supply for providers to keep up with any increased demand related to the recent announcement and to provide eligible Coloradans with a booster dose immediately.

Vaccine effectiveness may decrease over time in certain people, and a booster dose can help bring up immunity levels. Booster doses are common practice in routine childhood vaccines and require multiple doses at specific intervals to be most effective.

Colorado’s four large community vaccination sites in Aurora, Colorado Springs, Commerce City and Littleton can accommodate up to 1,000 doses per day each and can provide first, second and booster doses. Each site is open until Sept. 30.

This is in addition to Colorado’s more than 1,670 vaccine providers across the state. Coloradans can find more information or a location near them at https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/gqFyC82zGGuXz72F1ZMBy?domain=covid19.colorado.gov.

Booster doses are free, and no ID, insurance or proof of medical history is required. Continue to stay up to date by visiting covid19.colorado.gov.