county commission
Karen Newman
Clay County Public Health Administrator Kathy McKay and Clay County Director of Nursing Jamie Hennen, in their weekly report to the Clay County Commission, announced that the CDC/FDA’s April 13th news release recommends a pause in distribution of the Johnson and Johnson (J&J) vaccine. Six reported cases of severe blood clots found in vaccinated individuals in the US necessitated the halt. The vaccination distribution pause disrupts plans made by public health in Clay County to use the J&J vaccine to reach specific populations.
The highest number of new Clay County Covid-19 cases each week have been in the 20 to 24-year-old age range. Because many individuals in this age range are college students who will be leaving town at the end of spring semester, the ‘one-and-done’ J&J vaccine was ideal. Clay County Public Health requested extra J&J doses to be distributed at campus locations utilizing a mobile unit. The plan was also to do J&J vaccines, utilizing a mobile unit, to provide vaccination services for the homeless population who may find it difficult to report for a second shot.
Commission Chair Kevin Campbell expressed concern that only 26.1% of county residents have received both doses of the vaccine. McKay and Hennen reassured him that Clay County vaccinated individual numbers are higher than reflected in the public health report because many Clay County residents utilize Fargo medical and pharmaceutical services. The Minnesota and North Dakota vaccination data bases are not compatible for rapid information sharing.
McKay and Hennen added that active case numbers are rising according to the 14 Day Case Rate per 10,000 report. The Clay County rate rose from 29.94% to 40.45 % in the past week. The public testing site in Moorhead remains open for North Dakota and Minnesota individuals with no closing date at this time. Home test kits are available. For more Covid-19 testing information and vaccination clinics, visit the Clay County website at https://claycountymn.gov/1585/COVID-19-Info . Vaccine Hotline Number is 218-299-7204.
Hennen concluded, “We haven’t received any complaints at all about [vaccine] access but I want to point out that there’s a lot of access for vaccines in the community, lots of opportunities.”