Local Officials OK With Parents Deciding On Vaccinating Kids
May 12, 2021 at 10:29 p.m.
Local Officials OK With Parents Deciding On Vaccinating Kids
By David [email protected]
At Wednesday’s biweekly COVID-19 press conference at City Hall, WCS Superintendent Dr. David Hoffert said WCS couldn’t have gotten through the school year without the local Health Department.
“I would say that this has probably been the most challenging year in 176 years of history at Warsaw Community Schools, but I can also say it’s probably been one of the most rewarding years that we’ve ever had as well,” he said. “When we look at our teachers, they’re definitely ready for a break. When I look at our students, they’ve just been so thankful.”
Whether it’s the baseball, softball or other athletic and academic teams, “They’ve just been so ecstatic to be able to be involved.” He said all of those events were cancelled last year.
“So we look at our students and we look at just the excitement that we have. We have 12 days left, and those 12 days are incredibly packed with normal activities of the end of the year,” Hoffert said, mentioning that prom is this weekend and graduation is coming up.
Children getting the vaccine was a big part of Wednesday’s press conference.
Younger Age Groups
Kosciusko County Public Health Officer Dr. William Remington pointed out that the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) gave Pfizer emergency use authorization approval for those 12 to 15 years old to get the vaccination. “They’re awaiting the CDC’s immunization advisory clinic to vote on it, which I believe is today. Barring no problems, that Pfizer vaccine can then be given to younger age groups, which I think will include the FEMA site here in Warsaw this week,” he said.
Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer said the state will come out with a statement on the use of the vaccine for those 12 and older.
Now that Pfizer is likely going to have a vaccination for those 12 to 15, Remington said it’s a “tricky” conversation.
“I’m a big vaccine guy and I think there’s opportunity to protect vulnerable people at all age groups. As you move lower in the age groups, statistically, you don’t have as many vulnerable patients. There are a few,” he said. “But most kids, most teens, most adolescents are pretty healthy.”
He said it’s always a risk-versus-benefit with any intervention in healthcare.
“So here comes now new vaccines that are ushered in expeditiously – I’d say in a good way – but under a unique status. An emergency use authorization. They’ve had clinical trials of probably thousands of kids ... to look at,” he said.
In his opinion, he said it was OK for families to be allowed to think about vaccinating their children. “I don’t think personally think we should mandate this COVID immunization effort in these young children just yet. I feel that would create a lot of gnashing of teeth in the population and we probably really don’t need to do that,” Remington said.
Hoffert later said, “Dr. Remington, thank you so much for what you are saying about the vaccine with children because we are trying to mirror that approach.”
He said WCS’s goal is to provide information and let parents talk with their local health providers.
“What that means for students up until this point, it was 16 to 18, so that was really our junior- and senior-aged students. But now that, again, the CDC is looking at 12 to 16, we’re really relying on the healthcare professionals on whether that is relevant for them,” Hoffert said.
He said he heard nothing about a mandate from the state or federal level when it comes to vaccines for children.
“I know our local school board and our local administration really sides on the ‘go talk to a local healthcare provider and find out whether that is a relevant vaccine and whether that is the right thing to do for school-age children.’ And so, again, that would be the stance Warsaw Community Schools takes,” Hoffert said.
Clinics
Thallemer said a Homeland Security/Indiana Department of Health mobile clinic was at Center Lake Pavilion at Central Park to provide people with second shots of the Pfizer vaccine. The first shots were provided in April. They also are taking walk-ups, he said. Hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Saturday. Thallemer said 350 second shots were given Tuesday, and they do have enough vaccines to take walk-ups.
“That’s a good thing and hopefully we all can take advantage of that,” he said.
Remington said, “We have exciting new opportunities to get vaccine to you. As we’ve seen a softening at our (Kosciusko County Health Department Immunization) Clinic, we will be ratcheting down, but we can still order vaccine and we will be using the Warsaw-Wayne Fire Department and its credentialed vaccinators to do some mobile clinics.”
He said they have one pilot project with a local employer in the next couple of weeks, but did not identify that employer.
“We anticipate that will go well,” Remington said. “So if you’re listening or have connections with an employer or unique setting you’d like to get vaccine to you, we will try to secure the J&J vaccine, which is a one-and-done strategy, which is convenient for these mobile approaches. We’ll get that on demand.”
An employer should contact Administrator Bob Weaver at the Health Department about the mobile vaccination clinic.
Bowen Center CEO Kurt Carlson reported Bowen’s testing site is hovering at about 200 tests per week and that’s been consistent. The site’s hours will be reducing to 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday, beginning Monday. The hotline hours also will be reduced to those same hours.
“I think that’s the best utilization of our staff,” Carlson said, while still meeting demand.
Numbers
Remington also reported, “The epi-curve has improved. We have an additional couple hundred cases over where we were two weeks ago. Another couple deaths since we last met.”
The county’s first cases were March 26, 2020. Kosciusko is still under a yellow advisory per the ISDH, but Remington said it’s a “little bit blue.” If the county stays at the current metrics another week, it will be under the blue advisory – the lowest level – next week.
“That reflects a decreased positivity rate. our positivity rate is 3.7%, as compared to 4.2% the last time we met,” Remington said. The county’s worst positivity rate was 26% in November. “So a big change.”
On the average, he said there were six new COVID cases a day on a seven-day rolling average. At the county’s worst, it was at 134, and at 17 two weeks ago.
As far as vaccines, the State of Indiana has given 4.5 million doses, and 2 million Hoosiers are now fully immunized, up from 1.7 million two weeks ago.
In Kosciusko County, Remington said at least 22,000 residents have at least one dose – or 35% of the population 16 and older. He said 19,000 are fully immunized, up another 2,700 from two weeks ago. That 19,000 is 30.2% of the 16 and older population in the county.
The Health Department clinic is seeing a softening of interest in the vaccines. “Since we started our immunization effort in the middle of January, we administered 20,000 doses of vaccine,” he said.
On Tuesday, he said they gave 35 first doses and 222 second doses.
Remington said the virus variants continue to be a topic as they are “ticking up.” There have now been 1,900 total variants in Indiana with the B117 the most dominant. He said it doubled over the last two weeks from 760-some to nearly 1,500 cases confirmed. He expects that number to continue to double.
The next and last press conference will be at 10:30 a.m. May 26.
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At Wednesday’s biweekly COVID-19 press conference at City Hall, WCS Superintendent Dr. David Hoffert said WCS couldn’t have gotten through the school year without the local Health Department.
“I would say that this has probably been the most challenging year in 176 years of history at Warsaw Community Schools, but I can also say it’s probably been one of the most rewarding years that we’ve ever had as well,” he said. “When we look at our teachers, they’re definitely ready for a break. When I look at our students, they’ve just been so thankful.”
Whether it’s the baseball, softball or other athletic and academic teams, “They’ve just been so ecstatic to be able to be involved.” He said all of those events were cancelled last year.
“So we look at our students and we look at just the excitement that we have. We have 12 days left, and those 12 days are incredibly packed with normal activities of the end of the year,” Hoffert said, mentioning that prom is this weekend and graduation is coming up.
Children getting the vaccine was a big part of Wednesday’s press conference.
Younger Age Groups
Kosciusko County Public Health Officer Dr. William Remington pointed out that the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) gave Pfizer emergency use authorization approval for those 12 to 15 years old to get the vaccination. “They’re awaiting the CDC’s immunization advisory clinic to vote on it, which I believe is today. Barring no problems, that Pfizer vaccine can then be given to younger age groups, which I think will include the FEMA site here in Warsaw this week,” he said.
Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer said the state will come out with a statement on the use of the vaccine for those 12 and older.
Now that Pfizer is likely going to have a vaccination for those 12 to 15, Remington said it’s a “tricky” conversation.
“I’m a big vaccine guy and I think there’s opportunity to protect vulnerable people at all age groups. As you move lower in the age groups, statistically, you don’t have as many vulnerable patients. There are a few,” he said. “But most kids, most teens, most adolescents are pretty healthy.”
He said it’s always a risk-versus-benefit with any intervention in healthcare.
“So here comes now new vaccines that are ushered in expeditiously – I’d say in a good way – but under a unique status. An emergency use authorization. They’ve had clinical trials of probably thousands of kids ... to look at,” he said.
In his opinion, he said it was OK for families to be allowed to think about vaccinating their children. “I don’t think personally think we should mandate this COVID immunization effort in these young children just yet. I feel that would create a lot of gnashing of teeth in the population and we probably really don’t need to do that,” Remington said.
Hoffert later said, “Dr. Remington, thank you so much for what you are saying about the vaccine with children because we are trying to mirror that approach.”
He said WCS’s goal is to provide information and let parents talk with their local health providers.
“What that means for students up until this point, it was 16 to 18, so that was really our junior- and senior-aged students. But now that, again, the CDC is looking at 12 to 16, we’re really relying on the healthcare professionals on whether that is relevant for them,” Hoffert said.
He said he heard nothing about a mandate from the state or federal level when it comes to vaccines for children.
“I know our local school board and our local administration really sides on the ‘go talk to a local healthcare provider and find out whether that is a relevant vaccine and whether that is the right thing to do for school-age children.’ And so, again, that would be the stance Warsaw Community Schools takes,” Hoffert said.
Clinics
Thallemer said a Homeland Security/Indiana Department of Health mobile clinic was at Center Lake Pavilion at Central Park to provide people with second shots of the Pfizer vaccine. The first shots were provided in April. They also are taking walk-ups, he said. Hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Saturday. Thallemer said 350 second shots were given Tuesday, and they do have enough vaccines to take walk-ups.
“That’s a good thing and hopefully we all can take advantage of that,” he said.
Remington said, “We have exciting new opportunities to get vaccine to you. As we’ve seen a softening at our (Kosciusko County Health Department Immunization) Clinic, we will be ratcheting down, but we can still order vaccine and we will be using the Warsaw-Wayne Fire Department and its credentialed vaccinators to do some mobile clinics.”
He said they have one pilot project with a local employer in the next couple of weeks, but did not identify that employer.
“We anticipate that will go well,” Remington said. “So if you’re listening or have connections with an employer or unique setting you’d like to get vaccine to you, we will try to secure the J&J vaccine, which is a one-and-done strategy, which is convenient for these mobile approaches. We’ll get that on demand.”
An employer should contact Administrator Bob Weaver at the Health Department about the mobile vaccination clinic.
Bowen Center CEO Kurt Carlson reported Bowen’s testing site is hovering at about 200 tests per week and that’s been consistent. The site’s hours will be reducing to 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday, beginning Monday. The hotline hours also will be reduced to those same hours.
“I think that’s the best utilization of our staff,” Carlson said, while still meeting demand.
Numbers
Remington also reported, “The epi-curve has improved. We have an additional couple hundred cases over where we were two weeks ago. Another couple deaths since we last met.”
The county’s first cases were March 26, 2020. Kosciusko is still under a yellow advisory per the ISDH, but Remington said it’s a “little bit blue.” If the county stays at the current metrics another week, it will be under the blue advisory – the lowest level – next week.
“That reflects a decreased positivity rate. our positivity rate is 3.7%, as compared to 4.2% the last time we met,” Remington said. The county’s worst positivity rate was 26% in November. “So a big change.”
On the average, he said there were six new COVID cases a day on a seven-day rolling average. At the county’s worst, it was at 134, and at 17 two weeks ago.
As far as vaccines, the State of Indiana has given 4.5 million doses, and 2 million Hoosiers are now fully immunized, up from 1.7 million two weeks ago.
In Kosciusko County, Remington said at least 22,000 residents have at least one dose – or 35% of the population 16 and older. He said 19,000 are fully immunized, up another 2,700 from two weeks ago. That 19,000 is 30.2% of the 16 and older population in the county.
The Health Department clinic is seeing a softening of interest in the vaccines. “Since we started our immunization effort in the middle of January, we administered 20,000 doses of vaccine,” he said.
On Tuesday, he said they gave 35 first doses and 222 second doses.
Remington said the virus variants continue to be a topic as they are “ticking up.” There have now been 1,900 total variants in Indiana with the B117 the most dominant. He said it doubled over the last two weeks from 760-some to nearly 1,500 cases confirmed. He expects that number to continue to double.
The next and last press conference will be at 10:30 a.m. May 26.
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