BACK TO SCHOOL: Health officials concerned about drop in childhood immunizations in Oklahoma ahead of new school year koco.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from koco.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Health Department CEO urges vaccinations By: Janice Francis-Smith The Journal Record July 21, 2021
Patrick McGough, executive director of the Oklahoma City-County Health Department, asked the public to get vaccinated during a press briefing held virtually on Wednesday. (Screenshot by Janice Francis-Smith)
OKLAHOMA CITY – Patrick McGough, CEO of the Oklahoma City-County Health Department, is asking you to get vaccinated. Do it for the children, he said at a press briefing held virtually on Wednesday.
“I’m asking and just wanted to put out a general plea to the public that if you’ve not been vaccinated and you have the luxury of having a vaccine available to you, please do it for your children, do it for the children in your life,” McGough said.
Authorities say 41% of Oklahoma adults are not fully vaccinated against COVID-19, with tens of thousands being in Oklahoma County. I m asking for everyone that s kind of sitting on the fence, so to speak, get the information you need and make up your mind and get the vaccine, please. And do it for the children, said Dr. Patrick McGough, CEO and executive director of the Oklahoma City-County Health Department.Local health officials are pushing harder as more than 2 million Oklahomans have yet to get their COVID-19 vaccine. Some people still don t have quite the access – whether it s transportation or an ability to just communicate to get to where they need to be, McGough said.The Oklahoma City-County Health Department reports 300,000 residents still haven t received their first dose. I think as we begin to see the hospitalizations increase – and again, especially when we began to see sick and hospitalized and, God forbid, children that are dying because of something that
By: Hunter McKee
OKLAHOMA CITY -
It s that time a year again when mosquitos are in full force, and with them, comes the threat of the West Nile virus.
Within the last few weeks, the state s seen several inches of rain, which has led to standing water. This creates perfect conditions for mosquitoes. If you get a good three days of heat after a good rain, mosquitoes develop very nicely, said Sara Liggins, Oklahoma City-County Health Department senior public health inspector.
Liggins said they ve been testing mosquitoes for the last 10 weeks, and it s important to get ahead of the game.
By: Brittany Toolis
Most kids used their kitchens as classrooms last year. Because of it, many parents opted out of regular back to school requirements like annual vaccines.
The Oklahoma City-County Health Department said parents should get their children s back to school shots sooner than later.
The number of kids who got back to school shots took a sharp drop in 2020.
Across the U.S., 14% of parents skipped the annual immunizations and 13% of Oklahoma parents did the same. That number jumped to 20% in the state for teen vaccine rates.
Health experts point to the pandemic for the decline. A lot of the kids were doing virtual school. They weren t in the school setting, so they didn t have to have those shot records, said OCCHD s Public Health Nurse Ariel Whitehorn.