Have you had sex with multiple partners — or someone whose name you don’t know — over the past two weeks?
If so, you’re now officially eligible for a monkeypox vaccine in Arlington.
health department
|
Arlington County and the rest of the immediate D.C. area is now in the CDC’s “low” Covid level.
The county was moved from “medium,” where it had been since April, to “low” this afternoon, after the number of weekly cases per 100,000 residents dipped below 200, to 195.
The rate of reported Covid cases continues to slowly fall in Arlington, while the number of monkeypox cases slowly rises.
The local seven-day moving average of new Covid cases is now 83 cases per day, down nearly 60% since Memorial Day, according to the latest Virginia Dept. of Health data. Separate data from the CDC suggests that hospitalizations have risen over the past week, from 6.6 per 100,000 residents per week to 8.4.
Arlington is now setting up appointment-only clinics to vaccinate against monkeypox as cases continue to rise across the region.
The Virginia Department of Health has expanded access to the monkeypox vaccine to “those groups at increased risk for exposure,” per Arlington health department spokesperson Sondra Dietz, allowing the county to run the clinics.
The news this morning brought a good reminder that Covid is very much still circulating.
President Biden has tested positive for the virus and is receiving antiviral treatment and has “very mild” symptoms, the White House said. Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) was among those wishing the president well.
Though monkeypox cases continue to rise in the region, the county has yet to open vaccine clinics for the disease.
Supply of the monkeypox vaccine JYNNEOS remains “limited,” county spokesperson Ryan Hudson tells ARLnow, and Arlington is coordinating with the Virginia Department of Health to obtain and administer doses.
Arlington County has already vaccinated several hundred children ages 6 months to 5 years, in the first week the jab was offered for that age group.
That’s according to a county spokesman, in response to an inquiry from ARLnow.
Arlington County is starting to vaccinate children ages 6 months to 5 years today, following federal authorization last week.
The new vaccination effort comes as cases have fallen 40% since peaking in late May.
|
Update at 3:30 p.m. — The Virginia Dept. of Health says it has confirmed the first monkeypox infection in the state.
UPDATE May 27, 2022: The CDC has confirmed that the Virginia patient tested positive for monkeypox. For more information, visit VDH’s Monkeypox Surveillance and Investigation webpage https://t.co/dv3Zv1UMhT
The CDC’s elevated “Community Level” for Arlington may not tell the full story, county health officials say.
Yesterday ARLnow reported that Arlington was the only jurisdiction in the immediate D.C. area to have risen to a “medium” Community Level, as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While hospitalizations here remain relatively low, the county has been above 200 new cases per week per 100,000 residents for a few days, according to Virginia Dept. of Health data, prompting the CDC’s designation.
|
(Updated at 3:30 p.m.) Arlington is now the only jurisdiction in the immediate D.C. area to reach a “medium” level of Covid infection, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
The CDC’s “Community Level” map shows Arlington in yellow while the rest of the metro area is in green, with levels of infection and hospitalization considered to be low.
Arlington County is now offering second COVID-19 vaccine booster shots to eligible residents, following updated CDC guidance.
Late last month, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized the administering of second booster shots for those who are 50 years of age and older, immunocompromised, or who received a single shot and booster of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.