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VDH: Three more COVID-19 deaths for 321

Submitted by tim on

Vermonters can receive a Pfizer booster through state clinics, pharmacies and many health care providers

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health today reported 124 cases of COVID-19, and three deaths since Friday for 321 statewide.

There are 43 people hospitalized (up five from Friday) and 11 in the ICU (up one from Friday).

In his weekly briefing Tuesday, Financial Regulation Commissioner Michael Pieciak said that the lag in the official reporting of cases from mid-September may take another week to play out. But while the daily numbers may be off on certain days, the total case count is accurate.

He also noted that cases in the Northesat Kingdom and southern Vermont (largely because of cases in Rutland County) are higher than other regions of the state.

Phil Scott announced Friday that starting October 1, many more Vermonters can now schedule and receive their Pfizer vaccine booster shots.

“We know vaccines are safe and effective, and these additional doses add even more protection. So, I encourage anyone who is eligible to register for your booster today,” said Governor Scott. “At the same time, we continue to urge those who have not yet gotten their first dose to get vaccinated. The data shows we are now in a pandemic of the unvaccinated, and vaccines are the best way to protect yourself, friends and family, and to make sure we continue moving forward from the pandemic.”

In Vermont, you are now eligible to get a booster shot of Pfizer vaccine if you received your second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine six months ago or more, and

  • are age 65 or older, or
  • are age 18 or older with certain medical conditions that put you at high risk of getting severely ill with COVID-19, or
  • are age 18 or older and are more likely to be exposed to or spread COVID because of where you work, or
  • are age 18 or older and are Black, Indigenous or a person of color (BIPOC), or are age 18 or older and live with someone who is BIPOC.

As of Friday morning, more than 4,700 people have registered through the state system for their third dose. People are also able to get their shots at participating pharmacies and through their health care provider.

WHERE AND HOW TO GET YOUR BOOSTER SHOT

Getting your booster shot is free and easy! Visit healthvermont.gov/MyVaccine for more information, and to find a location that offers the Pfizer vaccine near you.

To register through the Health Department website:

  • Visit healthvermont.gov/MyVaccine
  • Click the “make an appointment” button.
  • Log in to your account. Have the information you need to log in ready.
  • If you are eligible by work or medical conditions, you may need to update your details in the registration system before making an appointment. Go to the Dependent/Household/Client tab and click the UPDATE DETAILS button.
  • Proceed with making your appointment.

If you have not previously been vaccinated through the state registration system, need assistance or speak a language other than English, call 855-722-7878.

You will not need to show proof that you’re eligible or have to be a Vermont resident, but please bring your vaccination card. You must have an appointment for the vaccine clinic.

Health officials are also reminding Vermonters that it’s time to get your annual flu vaccine, and that there is no waiting period between getting a COVID-19 booster and getting your flu shot.

COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective, and a booster dose gives your body extra protection. This is especially important as the world continues to face the Delta variant of the virus that causes COVID-19. Moderna and Johnson and Johnson boosters have not yet been authorized by the CDC, and we will keep Vermonters up to date as we await guidance.

The expanded eligibility list, the vaccine site and the vaccine and COVID-19 dashboards are below.

VDH Commissioner Dr Mark Levine said that those who are dying now from COVID-19 are either unvaccinated or vaccinated with at least one or likely more than one underlying health condition. Those who are unvaccinated are still taking the brunt of the disease, he said.

Commissioiner Pieciak also said that while total COVID cases are slowly decreasing in Vermont and the Northeast (and more rapidly in other parts of the US after a Delta variant surge) fatalities and hospitalizations are a trailing indicator. He said if cases continue to fall, then serious illness from the coronavirus should also start to decline.

ducation Secretary Dan French announced Tuesday that the state is in the process of rolling out its "Test to Stay" program for schools (public and private). The program would use frequent and widespread antigen tests. These voluntary tests help determine if there is virus present. Children who are close contacts to a positive case in school up until now are required to quarantine. This takes them out of school.

"Test to Stay" programs provide unvaccinated, asymptomatic children who are a close contact of a COVID-19 case due to in-school exposure an option to undergo daily rapid antigen testing for 7 days following exposure. Students may attend school each day following a negative test result, but otherwise must quarantine at home during the testing period.

Now, with the "Test to Stay," the close contacts in, say, a classroom could remain in school. This would help the student and, very likely, their parents. The antigen test results are ready in just a few minutes. If positive, the student would need to go home but could the take a PCR test to determine if they have COVID-19. The antigen tests can tell how much virus is present, but do not necessarily mean someone has caught the disease. More information on this program is coming.

You can now get a booster shot of Pfizer vaccine if you received your second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine six months ago or more and are age 65 or older, or are age 18 or older with certain medical conditions that put you at high risk of getting severely ill with COVID-19. The list of conditions is very long. You also could be eligible depending if your job puts you at higher risk, which includes anything from a frontline healthcare worker to a first responder to a supermarket employee.

Governor Scott said Tuesday that the state will take a very broad interpretation of eligibility.

"We've reflected on this," Scott said. "We're going to be quite lenient in terms of of who should be included and if they'd like to have a booster we'd like to find a way for them to have it. So I expect that number is substantially higher at this point. So our interpretation of this will be, again, quite broad."

In other words, it sounds as if anyone who is older than 17 and had two Pfizer doses at least six months ago will be allowed to get the booster.

When the Pfizer booster was first approved, the state estimated that it would cover about 113,000 Vermonters.

Still, the governor is urging all those who have not been vaccinated to do so. The unvaccinated have a higher incidence of hospitalization and death. And the booster shot is reducing serious illness by up to 20 times.

However, only about 2,000 Vermonters have signed up for a booster, which began last Friday. Human Services Secretary Mike Smith expects activity to pick up as the age bands and eligibility requirements progress.

At this time booster shots have not been approved for people who received the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccines. Officials expect that those vaccines will get approval in the next few weeks.

Pieciak said the national, regional and state COVID-19 cases are declining in most places. He acknowledged that fatalities and hospitalizations are generally still elevated, as they are lagging data points. But case counts are slowly coming down in the region and more rapidly in parts of the South and West, which had severe spikes in recent weeks.

Note: The list below does not include all potential medical conditions that could make you more likely to get severely ill. Rare medical conditions may not be included below. However, a person with a condition that is not listed may still be in more danger from COVID-19 than persons of similar age who do not have the condition and should talk with their healthcare provider.

Medical Conditions in Adults

  • This list is presented in alphabetical order and not in order of risk.

  • CDC completed an evidence review process for each medical condition on this list to ensure they met criteria for inclusion on this webpage.

  • We are learning more about COVID-19 every day, and this list may be updated as the science evolves.

Cancer

Having cancer can make you more likely to get severely ill from COVID-19. Treatments for many types of cancer can weaken your body’s ability to fight off disease. At this time, based on available studies, having a history of cancer may increase your risk.

Get more information:

Chronic kidney disease

Having chronic kidney disease of any stage can make you more likely to get severely ill from COVID-19.

Get more information:

Chronic lung diseases, including COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), asthma (moderate-to-severe), interstitial lung disease, cystic fibrosis, and pulmonary hypertension

Chronic lung diseases can make you more likely to get severely ill from COVID-19. These diseases may include:

  • Asthma, if it’s moderate to severe

  • Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), including emphysema and chronic bronchitis

  • Having damaged or scarred lung tissue such as interstitial lung disease (including idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis)

  • Cystic fibrosis, with or without lung or other solid organ transplant

  • Pulmonary hypertension (high blood pressure in the lungs)

Get more information:

Dementia or other neurological conditions

Having neurological conditions, such as dementia, can make you more likely to get severely ill from COVID-19.

Get more information:

Diabetes (type 1 or type 2)

Having either type 1 or type 2 diabetes can make you more likely to get severely ill from COVID-19.

Get more information:

Down syndrome

Having Down syndrome can make you more likely to get severely ill from COVID-19.

Get more information:

Heart conditions (such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathies or hypertension)

Having heart conditions such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathies, and possibly high blood pressure (hypertension) can make you more likely to get severely ill from COVID-19.

Get more information:

HIV infection

Having HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) can make you more likely to get severely ill from COVID-19.

Get more information:

Immunocompromised state (weakened immune system)

Having a weakened immune system can make you more likely to get severely ill from COVID-19. Many conditions and treatments can cause a person to be immunocompromised or have a weakened immune system. Primary immunodeficiency is caused by genetic defects that can be inherited. Prolonged use of corticosteroids or other immune weakening medicines can lead to secondary or acquired immunodeficiency.

People who have a condition or are taking medications that weaken their immune system may not be fully protected even if they are fully vaccinated. They should continue to take all precautions recommended for unvaccinated people, including wearing a well-fitted mask, until advised otherwise by their healthcare provider.

Get more information:

Liver disease

Having chronic liver disease, such as alcohol-related liver disease, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and especially cirrhosis, or scarring of the liver, can make you more likely to get severely ill from COVID-19.

Get more information:

Overweight and obesity

Overweight (defined as a body mass index (BMI) > 25 kg/m2 but < 30 kg/m2), obesity (BMI ≥30 kg/m2 but < 40 kg/m2), or severe obesity (BMI of ≥40 kg/m2), can make you more likely to get severely ill from COVID-19. The risk of severe COVID-19 illness increases sharply with elevated BMI.

Get more information:

Pregnancy

Pregnant and recently pregnant people (for at least 42 days following end of pregnancy) are more likely to get severely ill from COVID-19 compared with non-pregnant people.

Get more information:

Sickle cell disease or thalassemia

Having hemoglobin blood disorders like sickle cell disease (SCD) or thalassemia can make you more likely to get severely ill from COVID-19.

Get more information:

Smoking, current or former

Being a current or former cigarette smoker can make you more likely to get severely ill from COVID-19. If you currently smoke, quit. If you used to smoke, don’t start again. If you’ve never smoked, don’t start.

Get more information:

Solid organ or blood stem cell transplant

Having had a solid organ or blood stem cell transplant, which includes bone marrow transplants, can make you more likely to get severely ill from COVID-19.

Get more information:

Stroke or cerebrovascular disease, which affects blood flow to the brain

Having cerebrovascular disease, such as having a stroke, can make you more likely to get severely ill from COVID-19.

Get more information:

Substance use disorders

Having a substance use disorder (such as alcohol, opioid, or cocaine use disorder) can make you more likely to get severely ill from COVID-19.

Get more information:

Information on Children and Teens

While children have been less affected by COVID-19 compared with adults, children can be infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 and some children develop severe illness. Children with underlying medical conditions are at increased risk for severe illness compared to children without underlying medical conditions. Current evidence on which underlying medical conditions in children are associated with increased risk is limited. Current evidence suggests that children with medical complexity, with genetic, neurologic, metabolic conditions, or with congenital heart disease can be at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19. Similar to adults, children with obesity, diabetes, asthma or chronic lung disease, sickle cell disease, or immunosuppression can also be at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19. One way to protect the health of children is to ensure that all adults in a household are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

GET YOUR FIRST OR SECOND DOSE OF VACCINE!

Visit www.healthvermont.gov/MyVaccine to make an appointment. You can also call 855-722-7878.

Vermonters 70 years of age and older can make an appointment for booster shots beginning tomorrow. Those aged 65 and older can make appointments beginning on Friday.

Additionally, starting on Friday, those aged 18 to 64 with underlying medical conditions or who work in certain occupational settings will become eligible for boosters. The State is awaiting guidance from the CDC on what underlying medical conditions and/or occupational settings make individuals eligible for booster shots. That guidance is expected from the CDC later this week.

Booster shots are available at all vaccination sites listed below. They are only approved for those who received the Pfizer vaccine, and six months or more have passed since they completed their second dose. If you are eligible for a booster dose of the Pfizer vaccine, an appointment is required. We anticipate Moderna and Johnson & Johnson boosters to be recommended by the CDC in the coming weeks.

Here are the vaccination sites available this week:

Sunday, October 3

Agency of Transportation - Dill Building, 2178 Airport Road, Berlin

More ways to get your free vaccine:

Make an appointment for a free vaccine

You can also walk-in at CVS, Hannaford Food and Drug, Walmart, Walgreens, Price Chopper/Market 32, Rite Aid, Shaw’s Supermarket, or Costco or get an appointment with Kinney Drugs, CVS, Walgreens, Northfield Pharmacy, or UVMMC Outpatient Pharmacies.