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Number of vaccinated is growing

County is at 6 percent positivity rate

The number of Iowans vaccinated for COVID-19 continues to grow.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 71percent of Iowans over the age of 18 have received at least one dose of the vaccine, and nearly 69 percent of Iowa’s total vaccine eligible population, which includes those 12 years of age and older, have received at least one dose.

Iowans age 65 and older have the highest vaccination rate at 92 percent.

Additionally, a new study from the Kaiser Family Foundation finds that nearly half (48 percent) of parents of vaccine-eligible children ages 12-17 now say their child has received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

Between 75 percent to 80 percent of Iowans recently hospitalized due to COVID-19 were unvaccinated when they became infected, and 80 to 90 percent of those admitted to an intensive care unit were unvaccinated. These figures underscore how essential it is for all Iowans who are eligible to get vaccinated for COVID-19.

“The vaccine is the best tool we have to keep ourselves and our families healthy and to prevent severe illness, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19,” said Kari Prescott, Webster County Health Department director.

Locally, COVID-19 positive cases are beginning to slow with 86 positive tests in the past seven days with just a 6 percent positvity rate in Webster County.

However, it’s important to remember that we are also entering into the influenza season. Respiratory influenza cases are already being seen in Iowa and Webster County, so to conserve health care resources as well as to keep residents healthy, it is important to get your seasonal flu shot.

Flu shots as well as COVID-19 vaccines continue to be available at Webster County Health Department, UnityPoint Health, Community Health Center of Fort Dodge, Iowa Specialty Clinic, Daniel Pharmacy, CVS Pharmacy, Walgreens, and HyVee Pharmacy.

Webster County COVID-19 statistics reported

Over the past seven days there have been 86 positive COVID-19 cases reported in Webster County, according to the Iowa Department of Public Health.

That is a sharp decrease from the 147 cases reported by the state agency in the prior seven day period.

The Department of Public Health reported that in the most recent seven day period, 6 percent of the COVID-19 tests administered were positive.

The department’s statistics still show that the new cases are largely among younger people. Those statistics show that 24 percent of the new cases are in people age 17 and younger.

Another 21 percent of the new cases are in the 30 to 39 age bracket.

Since the pandemic began, there have been 7,225 COVID-19 cases in Webster County.

The Department of Public Health reported that there have been 111 deaths in the county due to COVID-19.

Statistics on the state’s coronavirus web site show that 62.8 percent of the county’s residents who are eligible for a vaccine are fully vaccinated.

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