Orange County Health News
August 18, 2021 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Additional Third COVID-19 Vaccine Dose Approved for Certain Immunocompromised Residents
Following the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) approval of an additional dose of the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines for immunocompromised people, Orange County will begin administering third doses to those who qualify. The FDA has amended the Emergency Use Authorization for these vaccines to allow for a third dose which can be administered at least 28 days following the second dose of the vaccine.
Ideally individuals should be vaccinated with the same vaccine they received for the first and second dose, but if that is not possible, receiving a third dose with another mRNA vaccine is acceptable.
Although the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines work very well in most individuals, there is evidence that people who are severely immunocompromised are not fully protected after receiving two doses and this small, vulnerable group may benefit from a third dose. Certain medical conditions or the treatments used for specific conditions may prevent the immune system from responding adequately to two doses of the vaccine and therefore require an additional dose to provide adequate protection from COVID-19. Individuals who qualify for a third dose include:
• Organ transplant recipients
• People undergoing cancer treatment
• People with advanced or untreated HIV
• People who take certain immunosuppressive medications
The Orange County Health Department (OCHD) encourages individuals who qualify for a third dose to speak to their healthcare provider to confirm their eligibility and get vaccinated. Third doses of the vaccines will be accessible through vaccination sites that currently offer Pfizer or Moderna vaccines. Eligible individuals will be able to provide a self-attestation that they have a qualifying medical condition at these sites.
A follow-up dose is not currently recommended for those who have received a single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. The FDA is still evaluating data on the effectiveness of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine in immunocompromised individuals. COVID-19 vaccine booster doses are also not recommended for the general public at this time.
To find a vaccination site near you or make an appointment at vaccination sites:
• www.orangecountync.gov/getyourshot (English Orange County Vaccine Page)
• www.orangecountync.gov/espanol (Spanish Orange County COVID-19 Page) • www.myspot.nc.gov
• Call (919) 913-8088 for the Orange County Vaccine Registration Call Center. Spanish and other languages available. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COVID Hospitalizations in NC Top 2,600 for First Time in Six Months
AUGUST 16, 2021 01:18 PM THE NEWS & OBSERVER
The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 rose by more than 130 over the weekend, with North Carolina reporting 2,651 hospitalizations Monday. That is the highest number of hospitalizations since Feb. 4, when the state was coming down from the pandemic’s winter peak.
Hospitalizations have increased nearly sevenfold since the beginning of July, N.C. Department of Health and Human Services data show. Among those hospitalized, a quarter, or 665, are being treated in intensive care units. DHHS reported 3,778 new COVID-19 cases Monday. On Sunday and Saturday, the state reported 5,229 and 5,991 new cases respectively, down from the 6,628 cases reported Friday. But the number of tests administered statewide are typically lower over weekends, dropping the number of cases reported early in the week. The number of cases reported each day over the last week exceeds 5,000, over 17 times more than the average on July 1.
The delta variant, a highly contagious mutation of the coronavirus, is fueling the rapid spread, health officials say. And the spread is primarily among those unvaccinated, as over 90% of new cases and almost all hospitalizations are in those not vaccinated, the state has previously reported.
Read More: https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/article253522519.html |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Hurricanes and Flooding
During hurricanes and stormy weather, there is an increased risk of flooding and dampness indoors. In recent years, hurricanes have increased in both frequency and severity. Floodwaters may contain many hazards, including biological and chemical contaminants. Following a flood or hurricane event, standing water and wet materials can become a breeding ground for microorganisms, such as viruses, bacteria and mold. Exposure to these contaminants can cause disease, trigger allergic reactions and continue to damage materials long after the flood. Additionally, stormy weather and flooding can drive pests indoors looking for shelter and food. Pest infestations are often combated with pesticides that may lead to harmful exposures if they are not properly applied.
Actions You Can Take
- Safe and thorough cleanup following extreme weather and other emergency events is essential to ensuring the safety of building occupants.
- Follow EPA guidance for cleaning up after a flood to reduce the potential for mold growth, and to avoid harmful exposure to mold spores and certain cleaning products used during flood cleanup. Some cleanup activities include:
- If you have evacuated, you and your family should wait to re-enter your home until professionals tell you it is safe, with no structural, electrical or other hazards.
- Before you start cleanup activities, contact your insurance company and take pictures of the home and your belongings.
- Wear personal protective equipment when you clean up. Wear an N-95 respirator at a minimum, goggles, and protective gloves.
- Clean with water and a detergent. Remove all mold you can see. Dry right away.
- Dry your home and everything in it as quickly as you can – within 24 to 48 hours if you can.
- Ensure the mold cleanup is complete before reoccupying your home.
Learn More about Hurricanes and Flooding |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Free COVID-19 Vaccine ClinicsVaccines are free, and no ID is required! If you are coming for your second dose, please bring your vaccination card with the record of your first dose.
Chapel Hill Vaccine Clinics
2501 Homestead Rd., Chapel Hill, NC 27516
Monday - Friday, 8:30am to 4:30pm
Please call 919-913-8088 to schedule an appointment
Moderna, Pfizer, and Janssen are available
Hillsborough Vaccine Clinics
2nd Floor, 300 W Tryon St., Hillsborough, NC 27278
Monday - Saturday, 9:00am - 5:00pm
*Closed on Wednesday, August 18
Please call 877-505-6723 to schedule an appointment
Please call 919-913-8088 for questions
Moderna and Pfizer are available
Pop-Up Walk-In Vaccine Clinics
In addition to our regularly scheduled walk-in clinics (see above), the Orange County Health Department is pleased to offer pop-up vaccine clinics to all community members ages 12 and older. No registration required, these are walk-in clinics.
Smith Middle School, in the Gym
9201 Seawell School Rd., Chapel Hill
Wednesday, August 18th from 10:00am - 2:00pm
Flyer: English/Español
Last Fridays, The Old Courthouse in Hillsborough
104 E. King St., Hillsborough, NC
Friday, August 27 from 6:00 - 9:00pm
Flyer: English/Español
Farmers Market Pavilion
140 E. Margaret Ln., Hillsborough, NC
Tuesday, August 31st, from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm
Flyer: English, Español
Farmers Market Pavilion
140 E. Margaret Ln., Hillsborough, NC
Wednesday, September 1st from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm
Flyer: English, Español
Cedar Ridge High School
1125 New Grady Brown School Road, Hillsborough, NC
Thursday, September 2nd from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm.
Flyer: English/Español
Farmers Market Pavilion
140 E. Margaret Ln., Hillsborough, NC
Wednesday, September 8th from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm
Flyer: Coming soon!
Smith Middle School Gym
9201 Seawell School Rd., Chapel Hill
Wednesday, September 8th from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm
Flyer: English/Spanish
Last Fridays at the Old Courthouse in Hillsborough
104 E. King St., Hillsborough, NC
Friday, September 24th from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Flyer: English/Español |
|
|
|
|
|
Free COVID-19 Testing
When To Test
• If you have symptoms of COVID-19, even if you are vaccinated or had COVID-19.
• If you have had close contact with someone with COVID-19, get tested 3-5 days after exposure, even if you don't have symptoms.
• If you have are not vaccinated and may have been exposed to COVID-19, such as through travel, attending large gatherings, or being in crowded or poorly-ventilated indoor settings.
• If the Health Department recommends that you get a test.
You can take this CDC quiz to find out if you should take a test.
If you test positive, isolate for 10 days. Notify people you were in close contact with that they need to quarantine.
If you test negative, you probably were not infected at the time your sample was collected. The test result only means that you did not have COVID-19 at the time of testing. Continue to take steps to protect yourself and others.
Hillsborough Weekday COVID-19 Testing
Whitted Human Services Center (WHSC)
300 W. Tryon St., Hillsborough NC 27278
Monday through Friday from 10 am to 4 pm
Pre-registration is encouraged and may be done online. Select Orange County when registering: https://unityphm.com/campaigns/starmed
Chapel Hill Weekday COVID-19 Testing
Southern Human Services Center (SHSC)
2501 Homestead Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27516
***New Expanded Hours!***
Monday through Friday from 7am to 3pm
Testing will take place in the large conference room inside the front entrance. Pre-registration is encouraged and may be done online: https://lhi.care/covidtesting.
There will be a few closings due to holidays, weather conditions, or other events.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Celebrating Asian American Native Hawaiian and
Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Breastfeeding Week:
“Reclaiming Our Tradition”Seven years ago this month, To-Wen Tseng’s breastfeeding discrimination lawsuit was settled. Tseng, a former journalist for the Chinese-language newspaper World Journal, was discriminated against after requesting a private space to pump her milk. The newspaper ran a piece called “Breastfeeding photos embarrass Chinese-American to death,” which cited anonymous resources, labeled breastfeeding photos as R-rated and described breastfeeding images as “disturbing” and “disgusting,” as Tseng describes in one of her pieces for the San Diego Breastfeeding Coalition.
Since enduring this discrimination, Tseng has become a champion for breastfeeding people, working to normalize breastfeeding especially in the Asian American Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities.
Tseng has moved on to dedicate her career to speaking up about breastfeeding barriers in her community. Tseng was selected for HealthConnect One’s Birth Equity Leadership Academy, is the co-founder of the Asian Pacific Islander Breastfeeding Task Force of Southern California and 2019 recipient of United States Breastfeeding Committee’s (USBC) Emerging Leader Award. Tseng collaborates with the Asian Breastfeeding Task Force of SoCal, BreastfeedLA, and PHFE WIC.
Tseng’s advocacy work started while working with a small, hyper-local group, but has expanded to a national scale. This week, as part of National Breastfeeding Month 2021, we celebrate Asian American Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Week: “Reclaiming Our Tradition”.
“It’s very exciting for all of us,” Tseng begins. “It’s amazing to see what we have gone through starting with this little task force of ten of us. We had this big idea that we wanted to promote equity in our community… but we were able to make it a national event. We are really thrilled.” Tseng’s town of Los Angeles is home to the largest Asian American population in the U.S. with over half a million Asian Americans and 7,000 Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders residing in the San Gabriel and Pomona Valleys.
She points out that almost half of Asian Americans in the San Gabriel Valley have limited English proficiency, yet less than six percent of lactation professionals in Los Angeles County speak an Asian language. When language is a barrier, Tseng explains, pregnant and lactating people resort to searching for information online most often from ethic media. Imagine as a new parent happening upon the World Journal article shaming breastfeeding.
“We are hoping to … create a voice for mothers and [show] there is nothing to be ashamed of, there is no stigma,” Tseng says. What’s more, as an Asian immigrants, assimilation often equates to survival here in America, and with that often comes formula feeding, she continues.
While AANHPI breastfeeding rates are among the highest in the nation, Tseng clarifies that there is great diversity within this lumped-together ethnic group and that looking at the data alone can be terribly misleading. First, she says, many Asian Pacific Islander (API) communities are missing in the data.
In Los Angeles specifically, where most API families are first generation immigrants, they suffer from the lowest in-hospital breastfeeding rates– 52.9 percent of Asian families breastfeed in the hospital while 79.5 percent of white parents are breastfeeding in the hospital, she shares.
In a USBC blog, Tseng also points out that Asian American women have been shown to introduce foods other than mother’s milk to their infants earlier than any other ethnic group. The post goes on to explain that “Lack of appropriate language and culturally humble lactation support, as well as aggressive infant formula marketing, are the two biggest barriers to breastfeeding in AANHPI communities. According to a 2020 WHO report, the incessant promotion of breastmilk substitutes is especially harmful to Pacific Islander families….
AANHPI breastfeeding families are also one of the most underserved groups in the United States. Nationwide, there are only four cultural breastfeeding coalitions currently serving API communities: (1) API Breastfeeding Task Force of Southern California, (2) ASAP! of North California, (3) Hawaii Indigenous Breastfeeding Collaborative, and (4) Hmong Breastfeeding Coalition of Minnesota.” Tseng says it is her and her colleagues’ goal to connect with these organizations in hopes to amplify their voices.
Elisabeth Millay/BreastfeedLA and API Breastfeeding Task Force
In the meantime, Tseng and her colleagues are excited about BreastfeedLA’s new Baby Cafe at the Dede Diner. The support group not only offers assistance to families, but provides experience for the next generation of lactation care providers (LCPs). BreastfeedLA provides an API scholarship for a comprehensive lactation consultant education program in order to increase the number of culturally competent LCPs in their area.
The API Breastfeeding Task Force has also recently collaborated with PHEF WIC launching the “I Breastfeed” video campaign coordinated by Wendy Fung. The API Breastfeeding Photo Project is another new initiative. Tseng says that the release of these photos gives her the “joy of revenge”, showing that breastfeeding is indeed not “disturbing” and “disgusting” as once described, rather beautiful as she and so many others see it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
North Carolina COVID-19 Cases
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) reports 1,131,243 COVID-19 cases, 13,952 deaths, and 2,930 hospitalizations. 48% of North Carolina's population is fully vaccinated.
There are currently 9,314 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 102 deaths in Orange County. 76% of Orange County residents are fully vaccinated.
For more information regarding live updates (NCDHHS updates the site every day around noon), please visit the NCDHHS website.
Orange County Health Department also has a COVID-19 dashboard webpage, with information on COVID-19 data in the county.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Share on Facebook
Share on Twitter
Share via Email
