Virginia Health on more contagious variant: We re not out of the woods yet
and last updated 2021-06-14 19:40:25-04
RICHMOND, Va. As the more contagious Delta variant began to take hold in the United States, Virginia Health Officials worked to address vaccine hesitancy amid declining vaccination rates.
A few cases of the Delta variant or B1.617.2, had already been found in Virginia, according to Virginiaâs Vaccination Coordinator Dr. Danny Avula. He said in the United States, it made up about 6% of cases, and was expected to spread.
âI think it s just yet another reminder to us that we re not out of the woods yet,â said Dr. Avula. âThe reality is that itâs here in Virginia and weâre going to see more and more as the weeks go on.â
Virginia's Vaccination Coordinator Dr. Danny Avula said the state was on track to meet the 70% goal, possibly even earlier than July 4 but was not there yet.
Dr. Danny Avula said another possible need for the booster would be waning immunity for vaccinated individuals and added that more research was needed to determine how long immunity would last following your shot.
Parents will have to sign a consent form for their children. There will be a big push over the next few weeks to try and do school-based vaccination, to help adolescents understand the value of the vaccine for them, Dr. Avula said. It s going to be a little bit of a tough sell in some regards because young people just don t get that sick with COVID, the vast majority of kids who get COVID have really mild disease or even asymptomatic disease.
CHKD Medical Group Director Dr. Douglas Mitchell said it s important for parents to get their kids immunized because children can still become hosts for COVID-19 and spread the virus to others.
FDA approval of Pfizer vaccine could lead to vaccine mandates
On Friday, Pfizer became the first COVID-19 vaccine producer to request full FDA approval.
and last updated 2021-05-07 23:13:12-04
RICHMOND, Va. On Friday, Pfizer became the first COVID-19 vaccine producer to request full FDA approval. Virginia s Vaccination Coordinator Dr. Danny Avula anticipated that approval would have several implications, including the possibility of more vaccination mandates across the country.
The Pfizer vaccine, along with Moderna and Johnson and Johnson, were currently operating under Emergency Use Authorization due to the pandemic. This is just the final formal step that Pfizer should take, said Dr. Melissa Viray, Deputy Director for the Richmond and Henrico Health Districts. We want this vaccine to be around, even when there isn t a public health emergency.