November 5, 2021
11% = 14-Day Average Percent Positive in Black Hawk County
52 New Positive Cases for 11/5/2021
67.7% of Black Hawk County residents (12+) that have received at least 1 COVID-19 vaccine as of 10/31/21
38.0% of Black Hawk County residents aged 18-24 have received at least 1 COVID-19 vaccine as of 10/31/21
During the week of 10/25/21 – 10/31/21
· 423 individuals received their initial COVID-19 vaccine
· 449 received their second dose
· 2,591 received their booster or third dose
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) approved the emergency use of the PfizerCOVID-19 vaccine for the prevention of COVID-19 to include children ages 5-11, following approval from the U.S Food and Drug Administration. Key points about the vaccine include:
· The vaccine for ages 5-11 years old is administered as a two-dose primary series, 3 weeks apart.
· The vaccine is given at a third of the dose given to people 12 and older, and children age 5-11 cannot receive the same dose as those age 12 and older.
· The vaccine’s safety was studied in approximately 3,100 children ages 5-11 who received vaccine and no serious side effects have been detected.
· Immune response in this age group has been comparable to those ages 16-25. In addition, the vaccine was found to be 90.7%effective in preventing COVID-19.
· Over 11 million children and teens age 12-17 have already gotten vaccinated against COVID-19.
A limited supply of the 5-11 dose is currently available locally and supply will increase in the coming weeks. Those wishing to scheduled appointments for children aged5-11 should contact MercyOne, UnityPoint Health, or Peoples Community Health Clinic. The vaccine will also be available at many area pharmacies soon.
UnityPoint Health Clinics (only offering the Pfizer 5-11 vaccine) are available by appointment at the following times and locations by calling 319-226-2600:
· 4-7p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 9 at UnityPoint Health – Prairie Parkway (5100 Prairie Pkwy., Cedar Falls)
· 2-7p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 10 at UnityPoint Health – Prairie Parkway
· 4-7p.m. Thursday, Nov. 11 at Allen Hospital (1825 Logan Ave., Waterloo)
· 8a.m. – 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 13 at UnityPoint Health – Prairie Parkway
Iowans have the option for free at-home testing and may choose to pick up a test kit from a site in their community or have a kit sent to their home at no cost. Each test kit includes instructions on how to collect and ship the specimen. For more information and to find a location near you visit testiowa.com. Activated and completed test kits can be dropped off at: Peoples Community Health Clinic, 905 Franklin Street, Waterloo. Tests received by 1 pm, Monday-Friday, will be transported the same day to the State Hygienic Lab, with results expected within 24 hours. Tests dropped off after 1 pm on Friday, will be transported the following Monday. There will be no pick up on Veterans Day, November 11. Tests can also be dropped off at any UPS location. Find a UPS location here: https://locations.ups.com/ia/
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) both released vaccine mandate rules this week. Compliance with the rules is currently required by 1/5/22. More information can be found by following these links: https://www.osha.gov/coronavirus/ets2 AND https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/press-releases/biden-harris-administration-issues-emergency-regulation-requiring-covid-19-vaccination-health-care
For information related to COVID-19, visit https://www.bhcpublichealth.org/ and follow us on Facebook(@BlackHawkCountyHealthDepartment) and Twitter (@BHCHD).