Covid-19 update

With no new official cases to report in the last week, the cumulative number of cases in Wahkiakum County stands at 313, with two cases considered active.

Disclaimer: With the easy availability of at home tests, it's impossible to know exactly how many cases of covid-19 are actually currently active in the county.

According to the Washington Department of Health, there have been 32 hospitalizations and seven deaths in the county that can be attributed to covid-19 since the pandemic began.

"Just in time for spring, cases continue to rise across the country," Wahkiakum County Health and Human Services Director Chris Bischoff said. "The biggest increases are in the northeast, the Great Lakes area, and the Pacific Northwest. Hospitalizations are also increasing, but at a slower rate than in the past."

Cases in Washington continue to rise, Bischoff added. Neighboring counties are seeing increases in case rates.

"Now would be a good time to examine our personal precautions with more mask wearing and social distancing," Bischoff said.

"The U.S. Food and Drug Administration just approved a booster of the Pfizer vaccine for 5-11 year old youth," Bischoff said. "This is for kids that finished the primary vaccine series at least five months ago. The Centers for Disease Control still has to give their approval before we can make those available. We would expect that sometime next week we should be able to do those."

"Right now the Pfizer COVID vaccine is approved down to five years old," Bischoff continued. "There is currently no vaccine approved for children younger than five. Both Moderna and Pfizer are or have submitted data to the FDA for a vaccine for children between six months and five years old. The Moderna vaccine is a two dose regimen four weeks apart and the Pfizer is a three dose regimen. We have not heard any word on when one or both of those will be available. The current thought is that one or both would be available by the end of June."

WA DOH reports that 74.4 percent of the population five and older are considered vaccinated. The percentage of the same population in Wahkiakum County to be fully vaccinated is much lower at 51.9 percent.

The Pfizer vaccine, including a second booster, is available at the WHHS vaccine clinic on Mondays and Wednesdays, from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30-3 p.m. Call 360-849-4041 for more information.

The Moderna vaccine, including a second booster, is available at the Cathlamet Pharmacy. Call 360-795-3691.