Press Release August, 23, 2021–First, FDA has granted full approval for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for individuals 16 years of age and older. This is a great achievement for public health and should help boost public confidence in vaccine safety. The Pfizer vaccine continues to be available under an emergency use authorization (EUA) for individuals 12 through 15 years of age and for the administration of a third dose in certain immunocompromised individuals.
Active COVID-19 case count for today is 257. This number can be found on the DSHS dashboard. There are also people who don’t get tested and still others that may be using home tests that are not reported. Since last Monday, COVID has been the cause of four more fatalities in our county. Getting vaccinated for COVID-19 is still your best way to avoid severe illness, hospitalization and death from a virus we should all be fighting together. As much as we want to move on, we are still here. As a community, we are not used to using our health to help others and probably have never thought of it that way. It is easy to see a person in need if it is in front of you. In the case of an infectious disease that has caused much damage, we may not have been able to realize our part in the fight. Protecting yourself protects others, in case you haven’t really looked at it that way. For those that are wanting booster doses, they should be coming available soon but for now, the third dose applies to those certain immunocompromised persons.
Additional dose for immunocompromised individuals:
For those who are moderately to severely immunocompromised, CDC recommends an additional dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine.
A few things to know about additional doses are:
They should be administered at least four weeks after a second dose of mRNA vaccine.
A third dose of the same mRNA should be used. However, if that product is unavailable a provider can administer either mRNA vaccine. J&J has not been approved for an additional dose at this time.
This additional dose includes people who have:
* Been receiving active cancer treatment for tumors or cancers of the blood
* Received an organ transplant and are taking medicine to suppress the immune system
* Received a stem cell transplant within the last 2 years or are taking medicine to suppress the immune system
* Moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency (such as DiGeorge syndrome, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome)
* Advanced or untreated HIV infection
* Active treatment with high-dose corticosteroids or other drugs that may suppress your immune response
People should talk to their healthcare provider about their medical condition, and whether getting an additional dose is appropriate for them.
VACCINE DATA UPDATE:
People that are fully vaccinated age 12 and older:
Medina County 49.52%
Texas 55.42%
CASE DATA UPDATE:
Confirmed Cases: 4,031
Probable Cases: 1,555
Fatalities: 121 up from 117 as of last Monday’s report
Active Cases (estimated): 257 up from 242 on last Monday’s report
Recovered (estimated): 5,209
By Trish Mechler
Medina County Health Unit