COVID-19 update: Youth vaccine rate increases to 50 percent
PRESS RELEASE
Aug. 19, 2021
Garfield County Public Health considers the goal of vaccinating 70 percent of the county to be within reach. It will take an additional 2,028 people to get vaccinated for the county to meet this goal.
For the third week in a row, first doses of COVID vaccines administered outnumbered second doses. First doses accounted for 60 percent of the 1,130 vaccine doses received last week.
There was a 16 percent increase in first and second doses given to 12- to 15-year-olds – this age group has nearly reached the 50-percent vaccinated mark. Ninety-four percent of cases seen at local hospitals since July have been unvaccinated.
Booster, Comeback Cash, immunocompromised vaccine clinics
• Immunocompromised individuals meeting certain criteria may attend any current public health vaccine clinic to receive their extra dose.
• A booster dose update has been announced by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. At this time, Public Health does not have booster dose clinic dates set. Please watch the vaccine webpage for updates.
• Comeback Cash returns to Rifle Walmart August 20 and 21. Get $100 for your COVID vaccine.
September 6 Labor Day office closure
Those due for a second dose of vaccine on September 6, please plan to attend vaccine clinics later in the week or the following week. Garfield County offices and departments are closed for the Labor Day holiday.
COVID school guidance
Public health has been working with local schools and districts on the best ways to keep staff and students safe and in-person during the 2021-2022 school year. Increasing vaccination rates remains the single most effective strategy to keeping schools open. A layered approach of masking, quarantine/isolation is also important.
• Garfield County Public Health current guidance for schools
• Parent guidance following a positive COVID-19 symptom screen
COVID by the numbers:
Age Percent first dose Fully
group First dose vaccinated
12-15 48% 37%
16-18 52% 43%
19-29 59% 50%
30-39 57% 50%
40-49 64% 57%
50-59 68% 61%
60-69 80% 75%
70-79 90% 87%
80+ 83% 77%
Cumulative incidence rate*:
Looking that the incidence rate over the past 7-days an unvaccinated person was nearly three times as likely to have a positive diagnosis than a vaccinated person, and that goes up to four times as likely for an unvaccinated person to have a positive diagnosis than unvaccinated in the past 14-day period.
7-day (8/7-8/13)
• Vaccinated: 46.9 per 100,000
• Unvaccinated: 134.9 per 100,000
14-day (7/31-8/13)
• Vaccinated: 73.8 per 100,000
• Unvaccinated 299.6 per 100,000
*The cumulative incidence (CI) rate is a measure of the frequency that COVID is occurring over a specific period and calculated per 100,000 people. It provides a picture of the state of the pandemic in a community.