TIMES-REPUBLICAN

Shots are going in arms in Marshall County for 5-11 year olds who are newly eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

County health director Pat Thompson was delivering pediatric vaccine doses to area health clinics Wednesday. She said doses are available at McFarland Clinic, UnityPoint, Primary Health Care and Hy-Vee.

Hy-Vee is requesting online sign ups only for shots, while the other three providers ask people to call for an appointment.

“One of the clinicians said to me it’s kind of emotional because we’ve worked so hard to get to this place,” Thompson said. “That’s the next step in protecting us from the coronavirus. We have the boost doses available for people who qualify. I had mine, and it was no big deal.”

Statewide, more than 55 percent of Iowans are vaccinated against COVID-19, excluding newly eligible 5-11 year olds who are not currently reported online.

According to a press release from the Iowa Department of Public Health, there are 284,000 newly eligible children after the Pfizer vaccine was approved for 5-11 year olds. The first allocation of an estimated 99,000 pediatric vaccine doses began arriving last week.

The press release also reported Iowa’s first death from the flu this flu season. The deceased was an elderly woman over the age of 81.

“These two announcements highlight how important it is that Iowa families take advantage of one of the most critical public health tools we have, vaccines,” said IDPH interim Director Kelly Garcia in the press release.

Marshall County is more than 58 percent fully vaccinated, including 73 percent of people 18 and older as well as 93 percent of people 65 and older. The county recorded another new death this week, bringing the total to 92.

In Iowa, 7,166 people have died with COVID, included 97 in the last week. In the last seven days, there have also been 7,616 new positive cases. Fifty-four percent of people who have died with COVID have been 80 or older, the most of any age group.

New cases in the county are still on a downward trend, dropping from 46 to 41 this week. The seven day rate of positive cases remains at about three percent in the county while the state is at more than nine percent. There have been 539,409 positive cases reported by IDPH not including at-home tests, which aren’t reported.

A total of 524 people across the state are currently hospitalized with COVID-19. Of those patients, 92 were admitted in the last 24 hours, and 113 are in intensive care. The largest portion of new admissions are 60-69 years old, making up 32 percent of the total. Five percent of new patients are 17 or younger, and 69 percent of patients have COVID-19 listed as their primary diagnosis.

People not fully vaccinated against COVID-19 represent 85 percent of all intensive care cases and more than 71 percent of current hospitalizations. Only 26 percent of inpatient hospital beds are available.

Local school systems are reporting low COVID numbers this week. The Marshalltown Community School District had 11 cases according to its most recent report released Nov. 5, including eight cases among students and three among staff.

The Iowa Valley Community College District relies largely on self reporting of COVID cases. There were no cases reported last week at Marshalltown Community College, but Ellsworth Community College had three cases. MCC last reported two positive cases in the last week of October.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

For questions about booster shot eligibility or any information about COVID-19 vaccines, contact Marshall County Public Health Director Pat Thompson at pthompson@marshallcountyia.gov or call 641-844-2799.

COVID-19 IN MARSHALL COUNTY

• Seven day percent of positive test rate: 3 percent

• Seven day number of cases: 41

• CDC transmission level: HIGH

• Eligible and Fully vaccinated (not included 5-11 year old): 58 percent

• New deaths this week: 1

• Total deaths: 92