Covid-19 update

There were four more cases of covid-19 reported in the last week by the Washington Department of Health bringing the cumulative total to 625 in Wahkiakum County.

The number of hospitalizations rose by one to 47 and the number of deaths attributed to the virus stands at nine.

Disclaimer: With the easy accessibility of at home tests, the actual number of active covid-19 cases and actual cumulative numbers in the county, are hard to know.

“Covid-19 is staying pretty steady at not great, but not horrible rates,” Wahkiakum Health and Human Services Director Chris Bischoff said last week. “A few areas of the country are having spikes like New Mexico and Arizona. Washington state overall is holding pretty steady in terms of cases with a slight downward trend.”

“RSV, covid-19, and the flu are filling up pediatric hospitals at a very high rate,” Bischoff said. "RSV is a respiratory virus that typically targets young children and we are seeing some of the highest case rates of RSV, among youth, that we have ever seen. Adults can also get RSV; seniors, and immunocompromised adults are at higher risk from it.”

While 70.2 percent of the total population in the state of Washington received the primary series of the vaccine, only 52.5 of residents in Wahkiakum County have done so. As for the bivalent booster, only 24.6 percent of people eligible in the state have had it, while a higher percentage of eligible Wahkiakum County residents received the booster, at 28.2 percent.

The primary series of the Pfizer vaccine and the new Pfizer bivalent booster, including the version for juveniles, are available at the vaccine clinic offered by Wahkiakum Health and Human Services. The clinic is held 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. There will be no vaccine clinic on December 12 while the health department offices complete their move this week to their campus on Elochoman Valley Road. The vaccine clinics will begin again on December 14 at their new location.

There will also be no vaccine clinic on December 26.

The primary series of the Moderna vaccine and the new Moderna bivalent booster are now available at the Cathlamet Pharmacy by appointment, between the hours of 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. and 2-5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Call 360-795-3691 for more information or to make an appointment.

Flu shots are available at the pharmacy by appointment. The flu shot and the booster can be given at the same time. WHHS is offering both the high dose and regular adult flu shots and the juvenile flu shots during their clinics.