MoCo COVID-19 Update: More Than 95 Percent of County Residents 12-and-Over Have Received At Least One COVID Vaccine

Per Montgomery County:

Despite the having the highest vaccination rate among jurisdictions in the nation with populations of 300,000 and greater, the County has still seen its seven-day average daily rate of positive cases increase to its highest level since mid-winter. The percent of hospitalizations due to COVID, however, is significantly lower than the mid-winter peak. That is due to the high vaccination rate in the county.

Most cases of residents requiring hospitalization due to COVID-19 regard unvaccinated people.

Of the County’s 170,300 residents age 65-and-older, 99.9 percent have received at least one vaccination dose, according to the CDC.

Residents with compromised immune systems are now able to receive a third additional dose of the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines at locations throughout the County, including local pharmacies, doctors’ offices and County-operated clinics. Find more information about County-operated clinics at www.GoVaxMoco.com. Guidance shared by the CDC recently recommended that people with a range of conditions—such as organ transplant or stem cell recipients, people with untreated or advanced HIV infection, people currently receiving cancer treatment, people who are taking medications that weaken the immune system and others—receive an additional vaccine. Visit the County’s vaccine page for more information on who needs an additional dose because of a medical condition.

Individuals should talk to their health care provider about their medical condition and whether getting an additional dose is appropriate for them. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is not currently authorized for an additional dose.

The FDA recently gave full approval for the Pfizer vaccine for residents ages 16 and older. Pfizer continues to be recommended under an emergency use authorization for adolescents 12 to 15 years old. The County’s vaccination appointment page lists the type of vaccine offered at each of the clinics.

On Aug. 18, public health and medical experts from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) outlined a plan for COVID-19 booster shots, pending FDA approval and CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommendations. According to the plan, booster shots for those who are not immunocompromised would be given eight months after an individual is fully vaccinated (after the second dose of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine) This means that frontline health care workers and first responders would be among the first to receive a booster dose. The booster will provide longer-lasting protection against COVID-19. For most of the public, the eight-month period will occur later in the fall.

Public health officials continue to recommend COVID-19 testing for anyone who feels sick or who thinks they have been exposed to someone with COVID-19. Find free testing clinics at www.MoCoCOVIDTesting.org.