Clark County Combined Health District Health Commissioner Charles Patterson and Assistant Commissioner Chris Cook updated the community about vaccines and other topics during the health district’s weekly livestream on Friday.
The boosters target the more prevalent Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5 with the hope of restoring protection against the virus—protection that has waned after the transmission of new variants.
The health district said it will begin administering the updated boosters on Thursday and Friday of next week, Cook said. The health district will administer the boosters by appointment only and can be reached at 937-390-5600 to schedule an appointment.
On Sept. 1, Clark County’s health district “paused” the administration of boosters as the CDC awaited recommendations from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Doses of the new vaccine may not be administered until the CDC endorses the recommendations.
As of Friday, roughly 51.6% of Clark County’s population has completed its vaccine series.
A total of 220 new COVID-19 cases were reported to the health district over the past several days, down slightly from last week’s total of 227.
Throughout the month of August, an average of 48 new cases were reported each day, mirroring July’s daily average. The county’s positivity rate this week, too, is 17.2%.
Clark County on Sept. 1 was dropped to a “medium” COVID-19 transmission level. The Centers for Disease Control designations are based on the number of new coronavirus cases per 100,000 people in the past week, new COVID hospital admissions and the percent of staffed inpatient hospital beds occupied by coronavirus patients.
In Clark County, 9.3 new COVID-19 hospitalizations per 100,000 were reported over the past several days.
Residents of counties with a “medium” level of transmission should stay up-to-date with their COVID-19 vaccines, get tested if they have symptoms and consider wearing a facemask in public spaces, particularly if residents are at high-risk for severe illness, according to the CDC.
Since the pandemic’s start, 39,558 cases of the virus have been reported in Clark County.
