Thursday morning update: Wahkiakum County Health and Human Services (WHHS) has received positive test result notifications for three additional COVID-19 cases in Wahkiakum County residents. This brings Wahkiakum to a cumulative total of 224 cases with 27 of those potentially active** and five fatalities.

Fifteen cases have been reported this week.

Following is the report as The Eagle went to press on Wednesday:

Wahkiakum Health and Human Services reported 12 more cases of covid-19 in the county this week, with five on Monday, and seven more on Tuesday. This brings the cumulative total of cases to 221, with 24 of them considered potentially active.

“There was no large cluster,” WHHS Director Chris Bischoff said of the new cases, “a few families, but largely unrelated. Some of the cases are students at Wahkiakum, but no spread is suspected in the school for this group.”

According to the Washington Department of Health, a total of 13 Wahkiakum residents have been hospitalized because of covid-19, and five have died.

St. John Hospital in Longview was reporting that they had 32 patients with covid-19 on Tuesday, and that the majority of them were unvaccinated.

In the last week, 22 more doses of the vaccine were given to people in the county, for a total of 3,733 doses. Percentages grew incrementally, with 46.4 percent of the total population considered fully vaccinated, up from 45.7 percent last week. Including those 12 and over, 51.5 percent of the population are now fully vaccinated. In comparison, 69.7 percent of the state, age 12 and over, are fully vaccinated.

Pfizer has officially submitted their data on 5-11 year old's to the FDA for review.

“With children back in school this could be a major opportunity to slow the spread of covid-19 and make schools safer for children, staff, and parents,” Bischoff said.

Boosters now available

at health department

Bischoff has also announced that the health department will begin administering covid-19 boosters to qualified persons who have previously received the Pfizer vaccine.

WHHS continues to offer third doses of Pfizer to those who are immune deficient and previously had both doses of either Pfizer or Moderna vaccinations.

Boosters are available for individuals who received both doses of the Pfizer vaccine following the CDC guidance:

1. It must be six months since the second shot of the Pfizer vaccine.

2. Recipients must also meet at least one of the following:

a. Age 65 or older;

b. Long-term care facility resident;

c. Underlying conditions for 18 and over. No one under 18 may have a booster shot, yet;

d. High risk worker – This is not well defined, but should be people who have an increased risk of contracting COVID due to their occupation.

WHHS hosts covid vaccine clinics twice a week at the health department office in the county courthouse in Cathlamet. The clinic is open Monday and Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. No appointment is necessary.

Boosters have not yet been authorized for the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccines. Both companies have submitted data to the FDA and CDC for evaluation. WHHS will provide public notice when further boosters become available.

Vaccines are available to anyone 12 or older in Wahkiakum County. Getting vaccinated is the best possible protection from covid-19. WHHS encourages everyone who hasn’t already been vaccinated to contact the Health Department or their personal medical provider and get scheduled to get a vaccine. The Health Department can be reached at 360-849-4041, M-F 8 to 4:30.

WHHS urges citizens to practice safety measures such as social distancing, staying at home, wearing a mask if you have to socialize, and restricting activities to household members only.