Highland Lakes Leaders-COVID-19 Vaccine Update
September 17, 2021
Pandemic of the Unvaccinated
The Pandemic of the Unvaccinated continues. There are over 1,000 active cases currently in the counties below. 49% of the over 12 population is fully vaccinated.
Are hospitals full? Yes, and 92% of BSWH patients are unvaccinated.
Are hospitals holding off on elective procedures and surgeries? Yes, staff are needed to take care of the COVID patients. Some outpatient surgeries are coming back. But, inpatient elective cases like joint replacements are not able to begin yet as there are not beds for those patients.
Is it bad in our area, or is it just Austin? It is improving faster in Austin where vaccination rates are significantly higher, but still challenging for all hospitals.
Is it the same or worse than the January spike? Worse. Spiking faster and more people are impacted. Less out-of-state nurses have arrived to help. And while hospitalizations are declining, they are declining at a much slower rate than the January surge.
The Vaccine Future
Thank you to Jim Barho who is working with local leaders to plan for 3rd dose events in Burnet, Blanco, and San Saba Counties. Llano County leaders are also organizing for this future wave of vaccination.
Who can get third doses? Right now, it is just immune compromised people. No proof is required. BSWH Information on third doses is available on this web page and is very clear.
COVID-19 Vaccine – Third Dose | Baylor Scott & White Health (bswhealth.com)
Breaking News: From the NYT: “A scientific advisory committee to the Food and Drug Administration on Friday recommended authorizing a booster shot for recipients of the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine who are 65 or older or are at high risk of severe Covid-19.” This is not final FDA approval, but the organization usually follows the scientific advisory committee’s recommendation.
There are over 18,000 people over 65 in the four counties (Burnet, Blanco, Llano, San Saba) that received at least one dose. There are another 5,000, 65+ residents who are unvaccinated. This looks like the target group if the FDA gives final approval. Keep in mind many of these seniors received Moderna and Moderna was not considered by the FDA today. Moderna is proposing a ½ the dose of its first two doses as a booster.
It was quite a broad discussion at the FDA. You may find this article enlightening.
F.D.A. Vaccine Panel Meeting on Pfizer Booster Shots (msn.com)
How will people get their third doses?
Currently retail pharmacies are the dominant place for this. Thank you to the EOC’s who are looking at creative ways to get the non-immune compromised patients their third dose in the months ahead.
How Safe are Vaccines?
So far over 383 million doses have been given in the US. We’ve all heard news reports of myocarditis, vascular bleeds, and Guillain-Barre syndrome. The counts of those issues have been in 10’s or hundreds. Even if they were as many as 100,000 real complications the portion of real complications is 0.000025, or 0.0025%. Without question the vaccines are some of the safest treatments ever created.
What’s Next?
The challenge for all of us is that people have made firm decisions. Only their best friends and family members can nudge them along. The State has banned uniform safe practices in the schools and elsewhere. With Fall events filling the calendar, COVID will keep spreading. This will not go away soon.
Fact and Myth Resources.
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/facts.html
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/coronavirus/covid-19-vaccines-myth-versus-fact