Health and Medicine

(CHRISTIANSBURG, Va.) — The New River Health District (Virginia Department of Health) has received 5,000 doses of Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Half of this allocation will go to pharmacies and other vaccination partners in the district, to be given to those ages 65 and up. The other half is for VDH to administer to frontline essential workers in Phase 1b, and those in Phase 1a and high-priority categories of 1b who waited specifically for the one-dose vaccine.

An appointment-only vaccination event is scheduled for Monday, March 8 at Radford University’s Dedmon Center to administer Johnson & Johnson vaccine to these prioritized populations. Due to continued limited supplies of vaccine this is NOT a public event. Vaccines will be given only to those individuals at higher risk of exposure to COVID-19 or of severe illness, including essential workers, in priority order. These individuals and groups will receive invitations and appointments.

Johnson & Johnson vaccines are approved for ages 18 and older; they require only one dose and do not require ultra-cold storage. “All of the approved vaccines are excellent. They are all safe and they all do an excellent job of preventing serious illness, hospitalization and death,” said Noelle Bissell, director, New River Health District. “Those are our biggest public health goals. As vaccine supplies continue to increase, I strongly encourage everyone to get the first vaccine available to them.”

“While cases are decreasing and we are going strong in our vaccination efforts, we need to continue to watch our distance, wear our masks and wash our hands to prevent spread,” Dr. Bissell continued. “It will take time to get enough people vaccinated to achieve herd immunity, and in the meantime we all need to look out for each other.”

Virginia has received a total of 69,000 doses of Johnson & Johnson vaccine, to be targeted by VDH for large scale vaccination events across the state. Over time, all vaccine allocations are expected to increase.

To pre-register for COVID-19 vaccine at future events, or for information on COVID-19 in the New River Valley, visit www.NRVRoadtoWellness.com. For information on COVID-19 in Virginia, visit www.vdh.virginia.gov/covid-19-vaccine.

The Virginia Department of Health reports 1477 new positive COVID tests between Friday and Saturday 10am statewide. Locally 19 new cases, 8 hospitalizations and 2 deaths in Roanoke City, 30 cases 4 new hospitalizations and 9th deaths in Roanoke County, 19 new cases in Botetourt County, 2 new cases and 2 new hospitalizations in Salem.

Virginia is starting to administer the Johnson and Johnson COVID-19 vaccine – including 8,000 people receiving doses this weekend at the Berglund Center. But some pro-life activists and faith leaders are expressing moral concerns;  the Johnson and Johnson vaccine differs from Moderna and Pfizer in how it was created, in part using cell lines derived from an aborted fetus. The vaccine itself has no such material, but the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops urges Catholics to get one of the other vaccines if they have that option. At the same time, the conference stops short of urging anyone to refuse the vaccine when the opportunity arises to get one. Locally, pro-life activist Al Bedrosian shares similar concerns, saying the Johnson and Johnson vaccines are tainted by their connection to abortion. Health officials say in Virginia, you may decline a vaccine for any reason, and you will be kept on the list for future appointments. WFIR’s Evan Jones has the story:

(RICHMOND, Va.)  — Today, the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) announced that a child in the Central Virginia Region died from complications of a chronic health condition and COVID-19. VDH will disclose no further information about the child to protect privacy and out of respect for the patient’s family. This is the first reported death in a child under 10 years old with COVID-19 in Virginia. “Our heartfelt condolences are extended to the family and friends of this child,” said State Health Commissioner M. Norman Oliver, M.D., M.A. “While fewer cases of COVID-19 are reported in children compared with adults, children are not immune to the disease. Across the country, there have been more than 80 COVID-19 deaths among children under 5 years old and more than 180 COVID-19 deaths among children 5 to 17 years old. At a time when vaccination efforts give us reason to be hopeful, we cannot let down our guard. Please continue to do the things we know protect others because they reduce virus spread – get vaccinated when it’s your turn, wear a face mask, stay 6 feet away from others when outside the home, avoid large crowds, and wash your hands often.”

Virginia is starting to administer the Johnson and Johnson COVID-19 vaccine – including 8,000 people receiving doses this weekend at the Berglund Center. But some pro-life activists and faith leaders are expressing moral concerns;  the Johnson and Johnson vaccine differs from Moderna and Pfizer in how it was created, in part using cell lines derived from an aborted fetus. The vaccine itself has no such material, but the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops urges Catholics to get one of the other vaccines if they have that option. At the same time, the conference stops short of urging anyone to refuse the vaccine when the opportunity arises to get one. Locally, pro-life activist Al Bedrosian shares similar concerns, saying the Johnson and Johnson vaccines are tainted by their connection to abortion. Health officials say in Virginia, you may decline a vaccine for any reason, and you will be kept on the list for future appointments. WFIR’s Evan Jones has the story:

 

State health officials say 91,000 more Virginians will be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 by this time next week when they receive the single-dose Johnson & Johnson doses. 8,000 of them are set for a mass clinic this weekend in Roanoke, and they will go primarily to Phase 1b recipients ages 18-64 with underlying health conditions who have preregistered with the Virginia Department of Health. WFIR’s Evan Jones has more:

NEWS RELEASE: (ROANOKE, VA) — The Roanoke City and Alleghany Health Districts (RCAHD) and Carilion Clinic will hold an 8,000-dose COVID-19 clinic using Johnson & Johnson vaccine, expanding appointments to more eligible Phase 1b residents this weekend, March 6-7. To support one of our region’s largest vaccination efforts to date, the Commonwealth has also dispatched 26 members from the Virginia National Guard to support logistical efforts.

“The goal of this event is to vaccinate 8,000 individuals currently eligible under the Phase 1b guidelines,” said Dr. Cynthia Morrow, health director of Roanoke City and Alleghany Health Districts. “This clinic will offer a crucial kick-off to reach a substantial number of all those eligible under Phase 1b who have expressed interest in being vaccinated. While we intend to continue to target vaccination appointments to those over the age of 65, the authorization of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine means that we have enough doses to expand appointment opportunities to an even larger segment of the RCAHD community.”

This clinic will primarily be targeted to Phase 1b-eligible RCAHD residents between the ages of 18-64 with an underlying medical condition. An email will be sent later this week to qualifying individuals who have signed up through the state website with more details inviting them to make an appointment, which will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. More clinics will be added in the future as supplies continue to increase.

“We’re excited to partner with VDH to offer expanded vaccine access,” said Chad Alvarez, senior director of Carilion Retail Pharmacy and the leader of Carilion’s COVID-19 Vaccine Task Force. “While there’s still a long way to go, this is an important next step to get vaccines into the arms of everyone in our community.”

All people interested in receiving vaccine in the state of Virginia are encouraged to sign up on the pre-registration site at vaccinate.virginia.gov or by calling 1-877-VAX-IN-VA. All citizens are strongly urged to pre-register even if they are not currently eligible to receive vaccine now. With the expansion of doses coming in to the area, we may more quickly have supplies available to expand to additional populations. After pre-registering through the state site, individuals will be contacted when it is their turn to receive vaccine.

Virginia’s vaccine distribution coordinator says the arrival of Johnson and Johnson COVID-19 doses is going to help the state take a major step forward in administering greater number of shots — and doing so in a greater variety of settings. Doctor Danny Avula said this afternoon those J&J allotments should arrive in Virginia no later than tomorrow: 69,000 thousand doses for starters.

Avula says the first priority will be more mass clinics, and many local districts will conduct them in short order.

8,000 of these doses will be administered this weekend in Roanoke. Click here for the full story.

 

Dr. Noelle Bissell

While some are opting not to take the one-shot Johnson and Johnson vaccine right now – concerned perhaps by reports of its lower efficacy rate – Dr. Noelle Bissell said today in the New River Health District others are waiting specifically for the J&J version. Bissell also said the lower efficacy numbers for the still-effective Johnson and Johnson vaccine may be skewed because its trial period took place when COVID variants started to appear – something not present when the Pfizer and Moderna versions were in their trial phase. As of today the New River Health District has its first 5000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine on hand.

A new study finds that as of March first, Virginia had the greatest total number of COVID-related restrictions of any state in the country – behind even states like California and Vermont. The personal finance site Wallet Hub looked at metrics like face mask mandates and restrictions on restaurants, businesses and large gatherings. Its latest findings: of 50 states and Washington, D.C., Virginia had the most total restrictions. Governor Northam’s office would not speak to whether this survey’s ranking is accurate, but Spokesperson Alena Yarmosky says Virginia has a lower unemployment rate, COVID case rate and COVID-death rate than most states.  WFIR’s Evan Jones has the story:

Click here for the Wallet Hub report.

Click here for CDC state-by-state data on COVID-19 case and death rates.

 

Updated COVID numbers for the Near Southwest Region, which includes Carilion, Centra, LewisGale, Sovah, and the Salem VA Medical Center, as of today: there are 187 Hospitalized COVID-19 patients, 43 ICU patients and 29 on ventilators. Last week at the same time 200 patients were hospitalized for COVID in the region. The numbers have declined steadily since January – 450 were hospitalized on January 13.