Virginians will have another vaccine choice by the middle of August if they’re seeking a COVID-19 vaccine.
The two-dose Novavax vaccine is available to adults aged 18 years and older but cannot be used at this time as a booster or third dose for immunocompromised people.
A July 23 Virginia Department of Health (VDH) release stated that testing showed the vaccine was 90 percent effective against lab-confirmed, symptomatic infection and 100 percent effective against moderate and severe disease.
“Though not tested when the Omicron variant was circulating, the company said the vaccine could generate an immune system response to it. Studies are underway,” the release stated.
Virginia’s State Vaccination Coordinator and VDH’s director of Division of Immunization Christy Gray said Novavax uses technology that has been commonly used for decades in vaccines against hepatitis B and whooping cough (pertussis).
“The Novavax COVID-19 vaccine offers an option to individuals who may have an allergic reaction to mRNA vaccines or who have a personal preference for receiving a vaccine other than the one based on the mRNA technology,” the release stated.
As of August 2, 43.2 percent of the population, or 7,559 people, has been fully vaccinated in Patrick County. 48 percent of the population has received at least one dose, and 49.6 percent of the adult population is fully vaccinated.
In Henry County, 50.7 percent of the population, or 25,505 people, has been fully vaccinated. 56.3 percent of the population has received at least one dose, and 58.7 percent of the adult population is fully vaccinated.
In the City of Martinsville, 62.3 percent of the population, or 7,694 people, has been fully vaccinated. 69.8 percent of the population has received at least one dose, and 76.1 percent of the adult population has been fully vaccinated.
As of Tuesday, August 2, information from the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) websites suggests there have been 1,605 cases and seven deaths in Henry County over the past 13 weeks. In Patrick County, 394 cases and zero deaths were reported. In the City of Martinsville, 303 cases and zero deaths were reported over the past 13 weeks.
Information from the VDH website stated there have been 13,533 cases with 271 deaths in Henry County. In Patrick County, 4,053 cases and 97 deaths were reported. In the City of Martinsville, there have been 3,701 cases with 123 dead.
The data also suggests there are 1,965,090 cases in the state, with 54,062 hospitalized, and 20,969 dead from the COVID-19 virus. Information from the CDC suggested there have been 91,189,391 cases in the United States and 1,025,365 dead from coronavirus. The CDC website’s COVID Data Tracker states there are 21,178 people hospitalized from COVID-19 and 107,924,198 people aged five and older, or 34.5 percent, have received their first booster dose.
The VDH website suggests there are 9,309 outbreaks in Virginia with 149,334 outbreak associated cases. The West Piedmont Health District currently has nine outbreaks.
For more tips on how to stay safe, visit www.vdh.virginia.gov or www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov.
