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Clayton County now has vaccine wait list phone line to streamline process

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By Audrey Posten, Times-Register

 

Beginning April 5, all Iowans became eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccination.

 

Depending on the vaccine manufacturer, Clayton County Public Health said individuals age 16 or older could be eligible. The Pfizer vaccine is currently approved for use in those age 16 and older, while Moderna and Johnson & Johnson are approved for individuals over age 18. 

 

Previously eligible groups, including those over age 65 and those with high-risk health conditions, remain vaccine eligible. 

 

In order to create a streamlined and efficient process for community members and vaccine providers, public health said Clayton County will have a centralized phone number and wait list to assist individuals and providers in signing up for and filling vaccination appointments as they become available. 

 

Any individual who would like to receive a vaccine may call the Clayton County vaccine wait list line at (563) 245-2064.

 

People will be asked to leave their name, phone number and date of birth on the voicemail. 

 

In a press release, Clayton County Public Health said the information will be placed on the county wait list, and individuals will be contacted by vaccine providers to schedule as doses and appointments become available. If there is a high-volume of callers, public health warned people may get a busy signal. Please try back at another time. 

 

County residents will not receive a call back after leaving a message until a vaccine is available for them. 

 

“As individuals get contacted to schedule vaccine appointments, we encourage them to take whichever vaccine is available at the time, regardless of manufacturer,” the press release stated. “The county does not have control of the number of doses or manufacturer of vaccine that is made available to providers.”

 

Clayton County Public Health asks residents to remain patient.

 

“While we anticipate increasing supplies, it may take time to get an appointment scheduled,” the release said. 

 

The expanding eligibility comes as the number of COVID-19 vaccinations administered in Iowa continues to grow. As of April 5, the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) said 1,588,117 doses have been administered to Iowa residents. That’s an increase of 168,479 doses from the week before. 

 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 33.5 percent of Iowa’s population has received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, and 21.3 percent of residents are now fully vaccinated.

 

In Clayton County, 1,652 series have been initiated for a two-dose vaccine, while 3,949 series of a two-dose vaccine have been completed. Additionally, 22 people have completed a single-dose vaccination.

 

The CDC reported 23 percent of Clayton County residents have been vaccinated, including 28 percent of people age 18 and over and 59 percent of people age 65 and over.

 

For more information about the COVID-19 vaccine, as well as eligibility and availability in Iowa, visit vaccinate.iowa.gov or www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/index.html. Vaccine data is reported daily at coronavirus.iowa.gov. 

 

COVID-19 positivity rate trending back up

Even as the number of people vaccinated continues to grow, COVID-19 remains active in the county. Ten positive tests were reported in Clayton County over the past week, according to data from IDPH. The county’s total was at 1,715 positive tests as of April 5.

 

Over two weeks, 17 positive tests have been recorded.

 

The county’s 14-day positivity rate, which measures the percentage of positive tests in that span, currently sits at 2.4 percent. Over seven days, the positivity rate is 3 percent, up a point from the previous week.

 

IDPH said Iowa had 152 positive COVID-19 tests on Monday. The state’s total number of positive tests is at 381,980, an increase of 3,760 from a week ago. 

 

Overall, Iowa’s 14-day positivity rate is 4.9 percent and the seven-day rate sits at 5.2 percent.

 

As of Monday, 201 people around the state were hospitalized, up five people from last week. Of those hospitalized, 47 were in the ICU. 

 

No COVID-19 related deaths was reported in Clayton County over the past week, according to IDPH. Since the start of the pandemic, 55 Clayton County residents have died.

 

There have been 5,822 total deaths in Iowa, but none reported on Monday. Per IDPH, 93 Iowans have died as a result of COVID-19 in the past week.

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