Iowa does not offer injections immediately to all seniors

Iowa does not plan to offer coronavirus vaccines immediately to all people over 65, as the federal government recommended on Tuesday, the Iowa Department of Public Health said.

“Once we have reasonable confidence that the supply meets the demands for these broader eligibility criteria, we will activate the broader distribution criteria,” the department said in a press release Tuesday afternoon. “From the beginning (of) this distribution effort, our goal is to reach all inhabitants of Iowa.”

The Iowa vaccination program, which began in mid-December, has focused on frontline health professionals, residents and staff at long-term care facilities so far.

The department announced on Tuesday that the next round of vaccinations, scheduled to begin on February 1, will include Iowa aged 75 or older. Other eligible groups must include:

These groups were recommended for inclusion on Monday by a panel of experts advising Kelly Garcia, interim director of the health department. Garcia decided to add health inspectors and government officials and officials who work at the Iowa Capitol during the legislative session.

On Tuesday, the country’s top health administrator announced a major change in federal recommendations on coronavirus vaccinations. The Secretary of Health and Human Services of the United States, Alex Azar, asked the states to open the vaccination for everyone aged 65 and over. Azar also said that states should not withhold vaccines to ensure that people receive a second injection three or four weeks later. He said that the production and shipping of vaccines should allow monitoring.

“Administration in the states has been concentrated very closely,” said Azar.

The Federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported on Tuesday that 98,691 Iowa residents received at least one of the two-dose coronavirus vaccines and 208,875 doses of the vaccines were delivered to the state.

Garcia, speaking to Iowa lawmakers on Tuesday, noted that the Azar department plans to dramatically increase vaccine delivery to states. She said that as supplies grew, “we will quickly migrate” to other groups, including people aged 65 to 75 and young adults with chronic health problems.

The health department said information will soon be available on how vaccines will be distributed to the broader groups. Hundreds of local pharmacies and clinics can help, and some employers can arrange to administer injections at their workplace. Public health officials said county health departments could also set up central vaccination centers.

Ken Sharp, administrator of the state health department that oversees the effort, told lawmakers on Tuesday that while the second round of vaccinations is due to begin on February 1, it can take many weeks to resolve the hundreds of thousands of residents of Iowa who will qualify for the vaccine.

“We need everyone to understand: not everyone is going to get the vaccine on February 2,” he said. “They will not necessarily receive the vaccine until the 15th” of February, or at the end of February.

Sharp said the rate of vaccination will depend heavily on supplies, which are coordinated by the federal government.

“Our message remains: be patient,” he said. “… It’s not as easy as a light switch.”

Many counties, including Polk, have already expanded their vaccination efforts to include some people working in health-related areas, such as ambulance teams, home health aides and pharmacy teams.

In addition, the Iowa Department of Human Services has started vaccinating employees at its six institutions, which include Cherokee and Independence psychiatric hospitals and the Glenwood and Woodward Resource Centers for people with intellectual disabilities.

Vaccinations take place in Iowa and the country continues to face deadly coronavirus epidemics. As of Tuesday morning, the state had recorded 4,222 confirmed deaths from COVID-19, the disease the virus causes. Although hospitalizations have dropped by more than half since the November increase, 552 Iowa residents were hospitalized on Tuesday with COVID-19.

Polk County warned on Tuesday that even with vaccines being distributed, coronavirus infections are on an alarming upward trend.

New positive tests fell steadily after the November increase, but they are rising again in the new year, experts said at an online public meeting on Tuesday. Polk County Health Director Helen Eddy warned that the trend means that Iowa’s most populous county could return to peak levels of COVID-19 in late January.

“The post-holiday increase is underway,” said Eddy. “… Our trend is to reach the peak of the previous November peak in the next 14 days, regardless of the vaccine’s progress. Strong pressure on our health care, schools and community is upon us. “

Public health officials continue to advise the public to avoid large groups, to wear masks when in public and to wash their hands frequently. These precautions will be necessary in the coming months, they say.

Tony Leys covers health care for the Register. Contact him at [email protected] or 515-284-8449.

Iowa does not plan to offer coronavirus vaccines immediately to all people over 65, as the federal government recommended on Tuesday, the Iowa Department of Public Health said.

“Once we have reasonable confidence that the supply meets the demands for these broader eligibility criteria, we will activate the broader distribution criteria,” the department said in a press release Tuesday afternoon. “From the beginning (of) this distribution effort, our goal is to reach all inhabitants of Iowa.”

The Iowa vaccination program, which began in mid-December, has focused on frontline health professionals, residents and staff at long-term care facilities so far.

The department announced on Tuesday that the next round of vaccinations, scheduled to begin on February 1, will include Iowa aged 75 or older. Other eligible groups must include: