Case count shoots back up to 83 active, 2 more lose life to Covid-19

Medina County’s active COVID-19 case count for 12/6/2021 is 83 with two additional deaths to report from last week. The COVID-19 variant, Omicron has been found in various states in the US. As The Department of Health State Services (DSHS) increases it’s sequencing capacity to detect the variant, it is just a matter of time before it is here. More data and time is needed to know how easily it spreads, if it causes more serious illness, what effect it may have on reinfections and on those who have been vaccinated for COVID-19. More people are coming in for boosters this past week and we have COVID-19 vaccine for anyone ages 5 and up who are wanting a first dose and anyone aged 18 and up wanting a booster dose. I recommend getting your COVID-19 booster if you haven’t yet. No matter what the new variant data turns up, a booster is still the best protection we can get and the Delta variant is still our biggest problem right now. So, get your booster or first dose if you haven’t yet and before the Christmas holiday. If you are not sure if it is time for your booster or have lost your card, call the Health Unit and we can help you with that information.
We have made several homebound visits this week and are available if someone in the county can’t get to us, please help spread the word.
You can register for any COVID-19 vaccine at vaccine.medinatx.org for clinic locations at our Hondo office and the Devine WIC and Castroville WIC locations. This week we are in Castroville and Devine on Thursday and we have a Natalia ISD clinic on Saturday. Check the online registration for time slots and details or call us to schedule.
Also, if you haven’t gotten your flu shot, there is plenty of time to do so. Medina County Health Unit has doses of flu vaccine at no cost for uninsured adults. Call our office if you qualify for a flu dose. We always have Texas Vaccine for Children (TVFC) including flu shots for children who qualify. This week is National Influenza Vaccination Week and a reminder for everyone 6 months and older to get vaccinated against the flu. Vaccination is particularly important for people who are at higher risk of developing serious flu complications, including people with certain chronic conditions such as asthma, diabetes, and heart disease. The CDC states in past flu seasons, 9 out of 10 adults hospitalized for flu had at least one underlying medical condition. A Health Advisory was also issued by the CDC in late November about increased influenza A (H3N2) activity. So get your flu shot if you haven’t yet and it’s ok to get the flu and COVID vaccine at the same time.
VACCINE DATA UPDATE (estimated) since 11/29/2021
People that are fully vaccinated age 5 and older:
Medina County 53.87% up from 53.20%
Texas 59.61% up from 58.73%
Additional Medina County data:
People 5 years of age and older: 48,707
People 5 years of age and older who have been fully vaccinated: 26,239, an additional 328 persons in our county are fully vaccinated since last week.
For children aged 5-15, 1612 have received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
CASE DATA UPDATE (estimated) since 11/29/2021
Confirmed Cases: 4,871
Probable Cases: 2202
Fatalities: 170 up from 168
Active Cases: 83 up from 14
Recovered: 6,815
Additional Texas COVID-19 Data: https://dshs.texas.gov/coronavirus/AdditionalData.aspx
COVID-19 Vaccine Information for Children age 5 through 11 Years Old: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/planning/children.html
By Trish Mechler
Medina County Health Unit

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