12/14/2022 - (WAVY) - VDH announces availability for COVID-19 vaccines for ages six months and older
The Virginia Department of Health announced Wednesday that children ages six months and older are now able to get free bivalent pediatric COVID-19 vaccines. According to a press release, decision comes after the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended vaccines for ages six months and older on Dec. 9.
The Pfizer-BioNTech bivalent vaccine is now available for that age group as a third primary series dose. Those who have gotten three doses of the Pfizer vaccine are not authorized to receive a booster dose of the bivalent vaccine. <<Full details.>>
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12/14/2022 (Press Release) - VDH Announces Availability of Bivalent COVID-19 Vaccines for Pediatric Patients Ages Six Months and Older
Parents of young children in Virginia are now able to seek a free bivalent pediatric COVID-19 vaccine for their children aged six months and older, the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) announced today, following the recommendation of the vaccines by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on December 9.
VDH advises parents to discuss this option with their child’s healthcare provider. Vaccination opportunities may be found at Vaccinate.Virginia.gov. Information about all the COVID-19 vaccines authorized for administration in the U.S. is available at the VDH COVID-19 vaccine website. The Vaccinate Virginia Call Center is an additional source of information; call (877) VAX-IN-VA – (877) 829-4682 – Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Information is available in English, Spanish and more than 100 other languages. TTY users should call 7-1-1.
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12/13/2022 (13 News/WVEC) - Norfolk Health Department re-evaluating COVID-19 vaccine distribution following clinic closure
Since its opening back in January of 2021, health workers have administered more than 155,000 vaccinations at the Military Circle Mall COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic. “It’s been one of the most successful community vaccination sites in the Commonwealth,” said Paul Brumund, the chief operations officer of Norfolk and Virginia Beach Health Districts.
Ahead of its closing, Brumund recounts the site’s work with more than just COVID-19 vaccines. The site also administered Mpox vaccinations and even held testing for COVID-19. <<Further details.>>
12/13/2022 (13 News/WVEC) - After almost 2 years, Military Circle Mall COVID-19 vaccine clinic set to close
The COVID-19 vaccine clinic that has been running at Military Circle Mall since January 2021 will shut down this month. … Throughout its run, the clinic doled out 155,076 vaccines, a city spokesperson said. That represents a joint effort from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Virginia Department of Health (VDH), and the cities of Norfolk, Chesapeake, Portsmouth and Virginia Beach. … Dr. Sulola Adekoya, the acting health director for Norfolk and Portsmouth's health departments, said the MCM mass vaccination center could help the people it did because of Norfolk's support. “The passionate members of Team Norfolk dedicated an extraordinary amount of time and resources to ensure all Norfolk residents had access to free COVID-19 vaccination and testing services," Adekoya wrote. … <<Full article.>>
12/13/2022 (13 News/WVEC) - Hampton Roads hospitals keep an eye on rising COVID-19 cases
In mid-December, COVID-19 cases were surging at an alarming rate in Hampton Roads, the state and the rest of the country. As of Dec. 12, Virginia was reporting 2,167,396 cases of COVID-19 across the Commonwealth since March 2020. In just the past seven days, Virginia has averaged 1,577 newly reported cases each day. It's a statistic Jerry Tucker with the Chesapeake Health Department said is unfortunate, but not unexpected. "We've been kind of expecting this, and we may see the numbers get a little worse as time goes on," Tucker said. … <<Further details here.>>
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12/5/2022 (13 News/WVEC) - Flu, COVID-19 at 'high levels' in Virginia, RSV cases on the decline
As cases of respiratory illness skyrocket across the country, health experts in Virginia say fears about a potential "tripledemic" aren't a cause for concern. Tripledemic refers to rising cases of the flu, COVID-19, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) at the same time. Dr. Brooke Rossheim of the Virginia Department of Health said RSV cases have reached their peak and are "coming way down." See where we stand here.
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12/4/2022 (The Virginian-Pilot) - Vaccine uptake for newest COVID booster slower than the first, Virginia health officials say
So far, relatively few people have received the newest free COVID-19 vaccine booster, compared with previous boosters, according to the Virginia Department of Health. Kristin Collins, the deputy director of the Division of Immunization in the Office of Epidemiology at VDH, said there could be many reasons why, including a lack of awareness about the new booster amid a steady churn of updated boosters to stay ahead of the changing virus. Also, some may be waiting to learn how effective the new bivalent booster is. The VDH is trying to change that. It is working with localities to text and call people 50 and older who are eligible to get the booster but likely have not. Locally, these include the Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Three Rivers and Virginia Beach health districts. … <<Find out the details.>>
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12/1/2022 (Virginian-Pilot) -- Virginia Beach health department to receive $6 million for public health initiatives
Over $74 million in federal funding is being allocated to the public health workforce and infrastructure of the commonwealth, according to a joint news release from Virginia’s two U.S. Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner. The Virginia Beach Department of Public Health will receive $6 million; the state health department will receive $68.4 million, according to the release.
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11/28/2022 (WAVY 10) -- Hampton Roads residents to receive COVID-19 booster reminders through text message
Have you gotten a text reminder about your COVID-19 Bivalent booster? There’s a good chance it was from the Virginia Department of Health. . . . On Monday, VDH began sending residents aged 50+ in the Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Three Rivers, and Virginia Beach health districts text or voice messages reminding them that they are eligible for the COVID-19 Bivalent booster. <<Full details.>>
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11/25/2022 (WTKR CBS 3) -- VDH to send voice and text messages to Virginians eligible to receive booster
Starting Monday, November 28, the Virginia Department of Health will send voice and text messages to remind Virginians of their eligibility to receive a COVID-19 booster shot. Residents aged 50+ in the Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Three Rivers, and Virginia Beach Health Districts will receive the VDH message for the COVID-19 Bivalent Booster. <<Details here.>>
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11/14/2022 (CNBC) --As Flu Hospitalizations Surge in the U.S., the Southeast Is the Hardest Hit
Flu activity is the highest in the Southeastern U.S. and Washington D.C. right now. It is also very high in New York City and New Jersey. . . . But the percentage of patients reporting symptoms similar to the flu, a fever of 100 degrees or greater plus a sore throat or cough, is the highest in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and Washington D.C., according to CDC data.
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11/7/2022 (The Virginian-Pilot) -- As experts warned, a severe flu season is arriving early. Here’s what it means in Hampton Roads
The percentage of medical visits for influenza-like illnesses is three times the rate of what it usually is at this time of year, according to data published by the Virginia Department of Health. “We are seeing concerning signs that this year’s flu season may look worse than what we’ve seen in recent years,” said Dr. Lisa Thanjan of the health department. <<Full article.>>
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