covid-19 vaccine

Starting today, the Oneida County Health Department is offering the updated COVID-19 vaccine.

The Oneida County Health Department is working to make sure anyone who wants a vaccine can get one, especially older adults or people who are disabled.It recently received a $91,450 grant from National Council on Aging to support its efforts.

The Oneida County Health Department is one of many local organizations doling out the new COVID-19 bivalent booster. It vaccinated about 350 people at its pop-up clinic Thursday.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on June 17 granted emergency use authorization to Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 6 months to 4 years, as well as to Moderna's vaccine for kids ages 6 months to 5 years.

Dr. Sonal Chandratre says the extra dose is needed because antibodies, which fight the virus, go away over time. The booster helps keep them around.

It says appointments will be scheduled based on vaccine availability.

Dr. Robyn Schertz recommends kids get the shot for two reasons. For one, kids can get really sick from COVID, and the vaccine can protect them. It can also slow community spread of the virus.

Aspirus has enough Pfizer vaccine on hand to handle these groups of people that have just become eligible.

At the Madison campus, 91% of students are fully vaccinated, the highest number among the system’s universities. The lowest number of vaccinated students are at UW-Parkside where 38% have been inoculated.