Floyd County taking signups for under age 65 with health conditions; vaccine still limited

By Bob Steenson, bsteenson@charlescitypress.com

Thousands more Floyd County residents are now eligible for COVID-19 vaccines, but the amount of vaccine available is still limited.

The Iowa Department of Public Health announced last week that eligibility will open to persons under the age of 65 who have one or more of a wide range of health conditions that put them at a higher risk of serious complications with COVID-19.

On Friday, Floyd County Public Health announced on its Facebook page that it is now accepting registrations for persons in this group.

Floyd County Supervisor Linda Tjaden said Monday that registration is now open for people in this new group, but it will likely be a while before they start holding vaccine clinics for people in the group.

“We are busy right now holding clinics out at Cambrex and Zoetis,” Tjaden said. “That’s going to be keeping them busy, and the shots will be used up between some of those businesses.

“Even though we’re allowing registration for this other group category, it probably will be a couple of weeks before we hold clinics to do them, because of the fact we are trying to get some other manufacturing businesses taken care of,” she said.

Tjaden said Floyd County Public Health is continuing to receive 300 doses per week for new vaccinations, and is also starting boost clinics to give people their required second dose, including a clinic today (Tuesday) for the first people in the county to have received a dose at a Public Health clinic, four weeks ago on Feb. 9.

“Right now the call center is kind of at a lull until we know we’re ready to start taking on the new registrations. Next week I can see us starting to kick up the call center again, when we know that we’re going to be ready to take on that next group,” Tjaden said.

She said the county is continuing to receive the Moderna vaccine, which requires two doses, although it may begin receiving some of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine that requires only one dose.

Vaccine availability is still behind vaccine demand, health officials said. The Floyd County Public Health announcement about the new group registration concluded by saying, “Demand for the vaccines continues to far outstrip supply.”

Also on Monday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced its long-awaited guidelines for social interactions among people who have been fully vaccinated.

It said that fully vaccinated people can visit indoors without masks and without social distancing with other vaccinated people and with unvaccinated people from a single household who are at low risk for severe COVID-19 disease.

It also said vaccinated people can refrain from quarantining after an exposure to COVID-19 as long as they remain without symptoms.

For now, however, the CDC said, even fully vaccinated people should:

• Continue to take precautions in public including wearing a well-fitted mask and social distancing.
• Wear masks, practice physical distancing, and adhere to other prevention measures when visiting with unvaccinated people who are at increased risk for severe COVID-19 disease or who have an unvaccinated household member who is at increased risk for severe COVID-19 disease.
• Wear masks, maintain physical distance, and practice other prevention measures when visiting with unvaccinated people from multiple households.
• Avoid medium- and large-sized in-person gatherings.
• Get tested if experiencing COVID-19 symptoms.

“In public spaces, fully vaccinated people should continue to follow guidance to protect themselves and others, including wearing a well-fitted mask, physical distancing (at least 6 feet), avoiding crowds, avoiding poorly ventilated spaces, covering coughs and sneezes, washing hands often, and following any applicable workplace or school guidance,” the CDC said.

“Fully vaccinated people should still watch for symptoms of COVID-19, especially following an exposure to someone with suspected or confirmed COVID-19. If symptoms develop, all people – regardless of vaccination status – should isolate and be clinically evaluated for COVID-19, including SARS-CoV-2 testing, if indicated.

According to the Iowa COVID-19 data site, coronavirus.iowa.gov, as of Monday, 3,303 Floyd County residents — 20.9% of the county population — had received their first or both doses of vaccine, and 1,167 residents — 7.4% of the county population — had received both doses.

When the Iowa Department of Public Health announced last week that people under the age of 65 with certain health risks were now eligible to receive the vaccine, it referred people to the CDC website for a list of risk or possible risk conditions connected with the new coronavirus.

The risk conditions listed were cancer, chronic kidney disease, COPD, Down syndrome, heart conditions, immunocompromised state, obesity, pregnancy, smoking, type 2 diabetes, type 1 diabetes, asthma, cerebrovascular disease, cystic fibrosis, high blood pressure, neurologic conditions including dementia, liver disease, pulmonary fibrosis or the blood disorder thalassemia.

A spokesperson for the Iowa Department of Public Health estimated that about half of adults have a chronic health condition that would fit one or more of these categories.