Jefferson County Health Department (JCHD) will host their first COVID-19 vaccination clinic at their newly acquired site in Festus this Thursday, April 1st from 9am to 3pm by appointment only. Additional clinics are also scheduled for the coming weeks with the ability to vaccinate up to 2,000 each day.
Read moreJefferson County Week 11 COVID Update
CDC Week 11: ORANGE Status, 12.32 7-day rolling average of cases per day, 5.85% positivity rate
CDC Week 11 Epidemiological Analysis: (from JCHD Epidemiologist, Sara Wilton)
The first thing you may notice is that our weekly case count has increased enough to put us back in “orange” status. We are not alone; The CDC update call this week reported that cases across the US have increased around 2% over the course of the last 7 days. This has become a bit worrisome as it is basically a race against the clock to get vaccine in arms as the variants continues to spread. Our percent positivity has increased enough that it is classified as “yellow” instead of the previously reported “light green” as well.
A couple thoughts after looking at our trends- It is suspected that the B.1.1.7 variant represents about 40% of the cases in the US and will likely become the dominant variant in the next few weeks. Although Missouri is only reporting 5 cases of B.1.1.7, there are likely many more cases circulating undetected because of the lack of genomic sequencing. Now seems to be that crucial time where it is important to maintain our current restrictions instead of relaxing them as many states have done. Keeping the mask mandate in place for a bit longer and promoting any other prevention measures will hopefully help to prevent another surge while we are racing to vaccinate the community.
Genomic surveillance is still limited, but the CDC has reported some alarming data trends in areas where there are high numbers of confirmed cases of B.1.1.7. Cases and hospitalizations have been either plateauing or on the rise in these areas, all while the rest of the country had been experiencing a decline in cases and hospitalizations. Based on the previous two weeks’ data and trends of increasing weekly case counts for our county, I would support the recommendation that we extend the mask mandate another month to avoid any other significant increases in cases or hospitalizations. According to the latest Show Me Vax data, we have almost 44% of our 65 and older population at least partially vaccinated and about 20% fully vaccinated. Continuing to focus on vaccinating this high-risk group will also certainly help prevent those hospitalizations and covid related deaths.
Additional note regarding change in color status for Week 10: JCHD began exclusively using the State EpiTrax data system beginning on March 15th. Cases occurring over the weekend may not be stable in the EpiTrax data system until late Monday or early Tuesday which is a change from our previous receipt of data using our internal reports. The weekly case counts are now determined based on the lab collection date instead of the date that the case was reported to the agency. This switch happened the same time that we started exclusively using the EpiTrax data export for our reports. We know there are often delays with results coming back from the labs, so by using the lab collection date, our counts would more accurately reflect when infections were occurring in the community. We realized that the samples collected later in the week were susceptible to weekend delays and were not being added to EpiTrax until Monday evenings or Tuesday mornings. We received around 23 additional cases for the week of 3/7- 3/13 after the reports had already been created and distributed.
CDC Week 11 Case Updates: (as of 3/23/2021)
Total Cases: 21,780, Active Cases: 279
Total Deaths: 231
Jefferson County reports two additional COVID-19 deaths this week; male 80’s, male 90’s
CDC Week 11 Epi Reports:
CDC Week 11 Vaccine Report:
Vaccine Updates:
JCHD has provided 7,347 doses total
5,939 first doses (Moderna and Janssen)
1,408 second doses (Moderna)
JCHD will provide an additional 800 Moderna vaccines this week
Several clinics are scheduled in April at the new Vaccine Clinic site in Festus
16,391, or 7.28%, of Jeffco residents have been fully vaccinated
Jefferson County Health Department Acquires New Space for COVID-19 Vaccination Site
Jefferson County Health Department Board of Trustees voted in approval on Monday, March 15, to rent a space for COVID-19 vaccination clinics. The 60,000 sq ft facility located at 1275 North Truman Blvd. in Festus (previously the old Shop N Save) owned by Jones Festus Properties, LLC will be leased to Jefferson County Health Department (JCHD) for 6 months beginning March 15 for $4,000 a month plus utilities.
“Data has shown that Jefferson County is falling behind in COVID-19 vaccine distribution to eligible populations and we intend to improve that as soon as possible,” states Jefferson County Health Department Director, Kelley Vollmar. In addition to clinics in High Ridge, DeSoto, and Arnold, a clinic site in Festus ensures that Jefferson County Health Department is providing COVID-19 vaccine in all four corners of the county.
According to Preparedness Coordinator, Jeana Vidacak, the larger space at this facility provides several benefits for hosting clinics. Because of the additional square footage, JCHD can provide 1,500 doses per day and possibly 2,400 doses a day with the help of Missouri National Guard. The space will allow for 2 clinics to run simultaneously, which is beneficial for running both first and second dose clinics on the same day. The building and parking lot are both ADA compliant providing greater accessibility for patients to easily obtain their vaccination.
“We know there are tens of thousands of Jefferson County residents who are eligible and interested in receiving the vaccine. As public health, it is our job to obtain vaccine and distribute it within the community as quickly and effectively as possible.”
By acquiring a larger space for clinics, the throughput for vaccine provided by JCHD drastically increases from 1,500 a week to potentially 4,000+ a week. To accomplish this, an additional staff will be hired as well to work these clinics including medical and non-medical staff. JCHD Board of Trustees also approved the hiring of up to 60 temporary staff utilizing staffing agencies that have been vetted by the State and given State Contract approval.
Individuals interested in receiving the COVID-19 vaccine are encouraged to complete the form provided on the health department website www.jeffcohealth.org called ‘COVID-19 Vaccine Interest Survey’. JCHD will utilize those survey responses by state ordered tier to reach out to residents for appointments. Older adults or those without internet access should call the JCHD COVID-19 Vaccine Registration Line at 636-789-8941.
Jefferson County Week 10 COVID Update
Jefferson County, Missouri
COVID-19 Update
March 17, 2021
CDC Week 10: YELLOW Status, 8.63 7-day rolling average of cases per day, 4.76% positivity rate
CDC Week 10 Highlights:
- 7-day rolling average of cases per day puts Jefferson County in YELLOW, second week in row
- Jefferson County reports one additional COVID-19 death this week, a female in her 90’s
o One death previously reported was removed because the state changed the case status to probable, female in her 80’s
CDC Week 10 Epi Reports:
CDC Week 10 Vaccine Report:
Vaccine Updates:
- JCHD has provided 5,932 first doses and 705 second doses
- JCHD will provide an additional 700 Moderna vaccines this week, and 690 Second doses Saturday
- Several second dose clinics are scheduled throughout March
- DHSS reports that 14,347, or 6.38%, of Jeffco residents have been fully vaccinated
Jefferson County Health Department Continues Prioritizing Seniors 65+ and Adults with Chronic Health Conditions as Tier 3 opens
Beginning on March 15th those in Phase 1B Tier 3 will be eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine in Missouri per Governor Parson’s announcement in late February. This includes those who keep the essential functions of society running including K-12 school employees, childcare providers, grocery store workers, and energy, food, agriculture, and other critical infrastructure workers.
Jefferson County Health Department will continue to prioritize agency vaccination efforts toward individuals who fall into Phase 1A, Phase 1B Tier 1, and Phase 1B Tier 2 before opening clinic appointments to those in Phase 1B Tier 3. The decision is based on current data showing Jefferson County continues to remain in the top 10 counties across the state with a vaccination gap based on both numbers of individuals and percentage of population who have not received the vaccine versus the population that is eligible to receive it. Recent data pulled from the State Show Me Vax system show that 33.63% of Jefferson County adults 65 and older have received the first dose (12.4% fully vaccinated) and 24.94% of adults 18-64 with a comorbid condition have received their first dose (15.93% fully vaccinated.)” According to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, Jefferson County has 6.25% of its total population fully vaccinated as of March 11.
“While we support the Governor’s decision to open Tier 3, in Jefferson County we are still working to vaccinate a large number of individuals who are at higher risk of morbidity and mortality,” states Jefferson County Health Department Director, Kelley Vollmar. “Individuals 65+ and adults with one or more comorbidities fall into the current phases and tiers patiently waiting for their turn to be vaccinated. It is vital that we continue to prioritize those most at risk of severe complications to ensure the best health outcomes for all.” State Epitrax data show that while seniors 60 years of age and older made up 9.2% of total Covid-19 cases, they represented 93% of deaths in our Jefferson County.
As additional vaccine doses are provided to vaccinators throughout the county, the goal remains to vaccinate as many people as possible as quickly as possible. Additional vaccine sites are opening each day including pharmacies and private providers. JCHD encourages residents to visit www.vaccinefinder.org to find vaccinator sites and supply status within the county. Jefferson County Health Department has not set a firm date to open their clinics to those in Tier 3, however, those who have registered with the health department will be notified by email when their name comes up for future clinics.
Individuals interested in receiving the COVID-19 vaccine are encouraged to complete the form provided on the health department website www.jeffcohealth.org called ‘COVID-19 Vaccine Interest Survey’. JCHD will utilize those survey responses by state ordered tier to reach out to residents for appointments. Older adults or those without internet access should call the JCHD COVID-19 Vaccine Registration Line at 636-789-8941.