Dr. Cynthia Morrow writes about Covid-19 in our Health District

Community Column
8.9.21
Now more than ever, it’s important to get vaccinated
By Cynthia Morrow, MD, MPH
Nationally, the Delta (B.1.617.2) variant is causing a surge in cases of COVID19. Virginia cases have increased nearly ten times from our mid-June numbers.
The majority of coronavirus cases, hospitalizations, and deaths in the U.S.,
Virginia, and locally are occurring in people who are not fully vaccinated. The
percent of fully vaccinated adults in Virginia varies widely by locality, ranging
from 35% to 72%. Among the jurisdictions in the Roanoke City and Alleghany
Health Districts, as of August 7, our uptake rates range from 43% of the adult
population who are fully vaccinated in Craig County to 64% in Roanoke County.
Evidence shows that COVID-19 vaccines available in the U.S. are safe and very
effective in protecting people against severe disease, hospitalization, and death
associated with COVID-19. While coronavirus infections in people who are fully
vaccinated are not common, they do occur because no vaccine works 100% of
the time. Some conditions make a breakthrough infection more likely in a
vaccinated person: more virus circulating in the community, lower vaccination
rates, and more highly transmissible variants. In addition, a concern about the
Delta variant is that new evidence shows that some fully vaccinated people who
are infected with this strain of the virus can spread it to others.
Because the Delta variant is much more contagious than the original strain of
COVID-19 and because even fully vaccinated people who do get infected may be
able to spread the virus, the CDC is now calling for more mask-wearing. What
science supports masking after vaccination? Masks help stop the spread of
germs. They are a literal layer of protection between you and any virus in the air.
It’s simple- masks can help prevent any respiratory infections, including COVID19.
I really understand that shifting recommendations can be confusing and even
frustrating. The reason that the recommendations change is because this
dangerous virus keeps changing as it continues to reproduce. We need to
continue to adapt our strategies to an ever-adapting virus. At this point, the only
thing that is going to stop this virus is if everyone who is eligible to be vaccinated
gets vaccinated and if we wear masks and physically distance until our
vaccination rates are high enough to stop the pandemic.
We are fortunate that we have the tools to stop this pandemic, the most effective
of which is the vaccine. Our ability to finally beat this terrible virus depends only
on one thing: All of us doing our part by using the tools we have available to us.
Back to School: As August is National Immunization Awareness Month, it is a
good time to remind those going back to school that school-required vaccines
have changed for the 2021–2022 school year. Starting this school year, Virginia
students will need vaccines to protect against meningococcal disease, human
papillomavirus (HPV), and hepatitis A, in addition to previously required
immunizations. Without these vaccinations, children will not be able to start
school on time or go to daycare. For more information, please visit VDH’s
Healthy Back to School Campaign website for more details on this and other
health resources for children.

–RCAHD submission