Health District sees fewer positive cases in fight against COVID-19

By Rebecca J. Barnabi
For Augusta Free Press

The good news is that the number of COVID-19 positive cases in the Central Shenandoah Health District is down.

The district’s plan for the winter months is to get booster shots to anyone who received a second COVID-19 vaccine shot at least six months ago.

But the district expects to be busy this winter also inoculating children ages 5-11 now that the CDC has approved that age group.

“Because of the demographics for [booster shots] coupled with the approval of 5-11-[year-olds getting vaccinated], we’ve stepped up efforts,” said Dr. Laura Kornegay, director of the Central Shenandoah Health District.

Kornegay said that the district recommends residents make an appointment to receive their booster shots, but walk-ins are also welcome.

The district’s winter plans “have really been driven by the changes in guidance [set by the CDC],” Kornegay said, and with the hope of getting residents vaccinated who have not received a primary vaccination before cold weather sets in.

More than 5,348,000 Virginia residents are fully vaccinated, and more than 472,000 have received a booster shot.

Vaccination locations are available throughout the health district. To find a location near you, go to vaccinate.virginia.gov.

“We hope that these accommodate not only the newly eligible [for a booster shot], but those who haven’t received a primary [vaccination],” Kornegay said.

After an upsurge of cases brought on by the COVID-19 Delta variant in the area, Kornegay said that the health district is “certainly seeing a decrease,” just as the state of Virginia is experiencing a decrease in cases. The district is on a downward slope of the Delta variant infection.

“What we need to do now is to increase a vaccine surge,” she said. The more residents who are vaccinated with booster shots and primary vaccine shots, according to Kornegay, the faster the health district can “get up to those herd immunities” before cold weather increases the risk of infection again.

“We’re pretty busy, which is encouraging,” Kornegay said.

However, the district does not have enough staff available for upcoming plans to provide vaccinations for children ages 5 to 11 on-site in the district’s 49 public elementary schools. Therefore, vaccination opportunities will be available at the larger elementary schools to ease the burden on working parents.

“I think the advantage of doing that in the school setting is we obtain parental consent,” Kornegay said.

COVID-19 vaccinations are also still available at area pharmacies, physicians’ offices, urgent care facilities and Augusta Health.

Kornegay said she encourages everyone to continue to practice social distancing, wearing masks and frequently washing hands.

She said booster shots will be provided, then the health district will wait to see if more booster shots will be necessary, but she thinks it likely that the COVID-19 vaccine will become an annual vaccination much like the flu shot.

“It’s hard to say what the future holds,” Kornegay said of the COVID-19 pandemic.