Although COVID-19 continues to have a presence in Atchison County, cases on a monthly basis are starting to dwindle. There were only two new cases in the county from February 1-8: 1 female and 1 male, ages 50-59. As of February 8, 2021, there have been 419 total cases and 11 deaths in Atchison County. Only two cases are currently active. There are no current active COVID-19 hospitalizations in our local hospital. The current seven-day testing positivity rate is 6.67%.
COVID VACCINE UPDATE
An estimated 15% of Atchison County’s residents have received at least one COVID vaccine dose. As of February 8, 2021, Atchison County is ranked third in the state and it is due to vaccines given by the health department, local hospital, and local pharmacies. The numbers also include vaccines given to those in our local nursing homes. Third in the state sounds impressive; however, there is still a lot of work to do!
The vaccine is slowly arriving; in fact, this week, Atchison County Health Department has been able to procure another 200 doses of Moderna vaccine and they are calling those on the COVID vaccine sign-up list. If you have already placed your name on the waiting list, they are currently working through that list to make appointments. The Atchison County Health Department is following the Governor’s Vaccination Plan prioritizing vaccine for those Phase 1a, Phase 1b-Tier 1, Phase 1b-Tier2 and will be giving vaccines to those individuals that fall within these phases. The link to the phases is https://covidvaccine.mo.gov/.
Julie Livengood with the Atchison County Health Department stated, “I am hopeful about the vaccine continuing to arrive to us locally and in a timely fashion.” However, there are many places the state allocates vaccines, including:
• High out-put healthcare systems: those healthcare systems that can vaccinate around 5,000 per week.
• Federal Pharmacy 1B Program
• Federally Qualified Healthcare Clinics
• LPHAs: Health Departments
• Mass Vax Events: (9 high out-put events in each region each week to vaccinate around 2,000 per event
• Other community providers: those providers not covered in other categories.
“We will continue to share with you events and locations for the nearest vaccination site that is available. With that being said, Atchison County Health Department is working with the State of Missouri’s ‘COVID Vaccine Navigator’ to get citizens vaccinated.”
Governor Mike Parson announced the launch of the Missouri Vaccine Navigator, a secure registry tool to assist Missourians in receiving a COVID-19 vaccine. “Although vaccine supply nationwide is still quite limited, this registration process will help connect Missourians with more avenues to receive a vaccine,” Governor Parson said. “This will not only provide support for Missouri citizens but also help our team determine where the greatest demands for vaccines exist throughout the state.”
Powered by Qualtrics, the Missouri Vaccine Navigator allows individuals to register for a vaccine, indicating their desire to be vaccinated. They will then complete a questionnaire to determine their eligibility based on Missouri’s priority phases.
Registrants will be notified upon activation of each phase and alerted when they become eligible. Individuals will then be able to seek vaccination from their health care provider if they have vaccines available or view mass vaccination events and other providers in their area.
In addition to helping individuals register for a vaccine, the Missouri Vaccine Navigator will remind registrants when it is time to schedule their second dose. Both vaccines currently authorized for use require two doses, and the second dose is critical to ensure individual and community protection.
“A crucial part of this process is for people to follow up for the second dose in order for them to be fully vaccinated and protected against COVID-19,” said Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Director Dr. Randall Williams. “This system uses best practices to ensure patients and providers follow through with that second dose for the maximum amount of protection.”
The Missouri Vaccine Navigator will also integrate with ShowMeVax, the state’s immunization database for providers. Vaccination events using the Missouri Vaccine Navigator for scheduling will enable coordinators to quickly load vaccination administration data into the system and avoid cumbersome data entry.
When individuals visit MOStopsCovid.com/navigator, they will answer questions regarding their personal health information so that the applicable priority group can be determined. Later, the registrant will be notified when he or she becomes eligible and can then view and sign up for events in their area at that time. It will be important for individuals to receive their second dose from the same provider they received the first dose. Those with online accessibility issues are encouraged to call the COVID-19 hotline at 877-435-8411 for registration assistance. Language translation and other services are available to callers.
Livengood commented, “We feel this is the best way to go to be more seamless with providing vaccinations as it also interfaces with our immunization reporting database called ShowMeVax. We understand not everyone has access to a computer; however, a person will be able to call the 800# for help in registering. We thank you for your patience.”
COVID-19 IN ATCHISON COUNTY
2-8-21
FATALITIES 11
ACTIVE CASES 2
CASES REMOVED
FROM ISOLATION 406
TOTAL CASES 419
MALE 184
FEMALE 235
UNDER 20 YEARS 52
21-29 YEARS 38
30-39 YEARS 44
40-49 YEARS 58
50-59 YEARS 63
60-69 YEARS 78
70-79 YEARS 58
80+ YEARS 28
