Iowa will not immediately offer shots to all seniors

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

“Once we have reasonable confidence that the offer meets the requirements of these broader admission requirements, we will activate the broader distribution criteria,” the department said in a news release Tuesday afternoon. “From the beginning (of) this proliferation effort, it was our goal to reach all Iowans.”

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

The department announced on Tuesday that the next round of vaccinations, which is expected to begin on February 1, will include Iowans 75 or older. Other eligible groups should include:

These groups were recommended for admission 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 staff to the Iowa Capitol during the legislative session.

Earlier Tuesday, the country’s largest health administrator announced a major shift in federal recommendations on coronavirus vaccinations. U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar has called on the countries to open vaccinations to anyone 65 years of age or older. Azar also said states should not withhold vaccines to ensure people get a second chance three or four weeks later. He said the production and shipping of the vaccines should be able to deliver follow-up shots.

“The government in the states was too narrowly focused,” Azar said.

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Tuesday that 98,691 Iowans had received at least one of two doses of coronavirus vaccines, and that 208,875 doses of the vaccines had been delivered to the state.

Garcia, who spoke to Iowa lawmakers Tuesday, noted that Azar’s department plans to dramatically lift the delivery of the vaccines. She said once the stock increases, we will quickly turn to other groups, including people aged 65-75 and younger adults with chronic health problems.

The health department said there would soon be information available on how the vaccines would be distributed among the broader groups. Hundreds of local pharmacies and clinics can arrive, and some employers may arrange for shots to be fired at their workplaces. Public health officials said health departments could also set up central vaccination centers.

Ken Sharp, a state administrator overseeing the effort, told lawmakers Tuesday that although the second vaccination round begins on Feb. 1, it could take many weeks to work through the hundreds of thousands of Iowans eligible for the vaccine.

“We all need to understand: not everyone is going to get their vaccine on February 2,” he said. ‘They are not going to get their vaccine until 15 February or the end of February.

Sharp said the rate of vaccination will strongly depend on the supply, which is coordinated by the federal government.

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

Many provinces, including Polk, have already expanded their vaccination efforts to include people in health-related areas, such as ambulance staff, home health supporters and pharmacy staff.

In addition, the Iowa Department of Human Services has begun vaccinating staff at its six institutions, which include the Cherokee and Independence mental hospitals and the Glenwood and Woodward Resource Centers for the Mentally Handicapped.

The vaccinations come while Iowa and the country are still experiencing deadly outbreaks of the coronavirus. By Tuesday morning, the state had recorded 4,222 confirmed deaths due to COVID-19, the disease that causes the virus. Although hospitalizations have dropped by more than half since the November boom, 552 Iowans were admitted to hospital Tuesday with COVID-19.

Polk County warned Tuesday that coronavirus infections have an alarming upward trend even with the spread of vaccines.

New positive tests gradually fell after the November boom, but they are climbing again in the new year, experts said at a public online meeting on Tuesday. Polk County Health Director Helen Eddy warned that the trend meant Iowa’s most populous county could be at the highest levels of COVID-19 again by the end of January.

“The boom after the holidays is underway,” Eddy said. ‘… We tend to reach the peak of the previous boom in November over the next 14 days, regardless of the progress of the vaccine. A serious strain on our health care, schools and community is upon us. “

Public health officials advise the public to avoid large groups, to wear masks when in public, and to wash their hands regularly. The precautions will still be needed for months, they say.

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

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

“Once we have reasonable confidence that the offer meets the requirements of these broader admission requirements, we will activate the broader distribution criteria,” the department said in a news release Tuesday afternoon. “From the beginning (of) this proliferation effort, it was our goal to reach all Iowans.”

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

The department announced on Tuesday that the next round of vaccinations, which is expected to begin on February 1, will include Iowans 75 or older. Other eligible groups should include: