Vaccine pace slows in some areas of Nebraska
and last updated 2021-04-23 11:15:49-04
OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) â Some doctors said we may be reaching a critical crossroads in the pandemic.
The White House says roughly 200 million people have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the rate of vaccination is slowing down, and that s happening in some parts of our area.
Ten of the 23 health districts in the state of Nebraska have declined new vaccine allotments this week as fewer people are jumping in line to get vaccinated.
Julie Rother, Health Director of Northeast Nebraska Public Health Department, said she has seen a major change in their efforts.
COVID-19 cases have been going up.
Adults need to be vaccinated.
And people need to continue wearing masks, washing their hands and social distancing to protect themselves and others from the deadly virus.
Sukstorf is the infectious disease specialist at Methodist Fremont Health.
âThe cases from week to week are anywhere from steady to going up and that has been the trend over the last few weeks,â she said.
Sukstorf attributes the increase to laxity in non-pharmaceutical measures such as wearing masks and social distancing.
âWeâre not at that point of herd immunity with vaccinations,â she said.
Herd immunity, as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is a situation where a sufficient proportion of the population is immune to an infectious disease to make its spread from person to person unlikely.
Nebraska Health Departments affected by pausing of Johnson & Johnson vaccine
Unmute
(KTIV) - Nebraska leaders say they will stop distributing Johnson & Johnson s COVID vaccine, while federal officials investigate the reports of people developing blood clots after receiving that shot.
The J & J vaccine was a small part of the state s plans this week because officials expected to receive only 3,300 doses of it after getting 27,600 doses last week.
The pause will impact every health district in Nebraska, including the North Central District Health Department, in O Neill.
Officials at the department say they have between 300-400 doses of the vaccine that they will now be unable to use.
Tuesday, April 13, 2021
McCOOK, Neb. Some 9,300 Southwest Nebraskans have received the COVID-19 vaccine, and 74 deaths have been reported in the Southwest Nebraska Public Health Department district.
The department received 1000 doses of the Moderna vaccine and 200 doses of Johnson & Johnson last week, but today authorities have paused administration of the latter over concerns about a rare and severe type of blood clot diagnosed in a Nebraska resident.
Vaccine safety is closely monitored by healthcare providers and local, state, and federal partners. While only six instances of this severe clotting event have been identified among approximately 6.8 million who have received the J&J/Janssen vaccine across the US, the pause is a transparent and deliberate decision to allow time for a thorough review and investigation, according to a Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services release.
Tuesday, March 16, 2021
McCOOK, Neb. COVID-19 vaccinations have been opened to anyone 50 years and older, testing is mostly in nursing homes and assisted living centers, and some patients are being treated for COVID-19 symptoms without being tested, according to the latest update from the Southwest Nebraska Public Health Department.
The agency reported 62 new cases March 2-14, bringing the total to 3,751 in the nine-county area. SWNPHD received 800 doses of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine and 100 doses of Johnson & Johnson vaccine, bringing Moderna distribution to 7,300 doses. Additional J&J doses are not expected in the near future.
Those who wish to receive vaccinations should sign up at vaccinate.ne.gov to be put on the official waiting list for vaccination, which will be provided by SWNPHD, six local hospitals, seven area pharmacies or the Red Willow County Health Department. Tiers Phase 1A and Phase 1B are still eligible for vaccine.