Green River District Health Department Public Health Director Clay Horton said while there is not enough COVID-19 vaccine to meet demand, vaccinations will still continue at a steady pace.
In a webinar with the Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce on Thursday, Horton discussed the current state of vaccinations for the community. He said vaccines are being distributed as quickly as they can be produced.
“There’s just not adequate supply yet to vaccinate everyone who wants to be vaccinated. The supply chains will get there. We will get to a place where there are adequate vaccines, but right now, we’re getting a very small amount of vaccine,” he said.
He said the community should remain patient and stay informed on vaccination updates.
For the rest of the month, Horton said tier 1B vaccinations will continue with 1C vaccinations possibly beginning in February.
Tier 1B includes first responders, individuals more than 70 years of age and school personnel. 1C includes essential workers, individuals age 60 and over and those age 16 and over that are considered at highest risk.
Horton said 1C vaccinations could last through the early summer months.
“I think we’ll be in 1C at least starting next month. I think we’ll continue to be in that phase all the way up to early summer, and then when we move into late summer, I think that’s when we’re going to start moving into phase 2,” he said.
While vaccine supplies are not reaching the current demand, Horton said there may be other opportunities in coming weeks and months that will make vaccines more accessible to the public, such as a mass vaccination clinic that he said could be announced in Kentucky starting next month.
Horton said there is a potential third vaccine candidate through Johnson & Johnson that is expected to have clinical trial data available at the end of January.
“Having another option in the marketplace is going to create more opportunities, create more supply and take a lot of this pressure off,” he said.
As far as any vaccine side effects being reported, Horton said the most common are a sore arm and more rarely, a low-grade fever, both of which are similar to many other common vaccines, he said.
“Those are fairly rare, but they’re just a natural process of your immune system kind of kicking in that causes that,” he said.
Horton also noted that once a person receives a vaccine, they will not be at peak immunity until at least 14 days following the booster shot, which is administered from 21 to 28 days following the first vaccination dose. Therefore, he said, it is important to continue practicing social distancing, masking and other recommended health and safety measures.
“You’re looking at six weeks before you have your peak immunity,” he said. “We would still encourage you to be cautious and practice other measures and other steps to control the spread of COVID.”
Additionally, the Center for Disease Control has noted cases of reinfection, he said. Therefore, even those who have been previously infected should receive the vaccine 90 days after their original infection for peak immunity.
By Christie Netherton Messenger-Inquirer