Bivalent Vaccine Update
The Floyd County Health Department [FCHD] has received information from the Indiana Department of Health [IDOH] that the Moderna Bivalent vaccine is in short supply due to a delay in production nationally. IDOH reports that no additional Moderna is expected to ship before the 29th of this month.
The FCHD has less than 100 doses of Moderna bivalent vaccine remaining.
After the supply is exhausted, the FCHD will substitute Pfizer until more Moderna is available. Currently, there is no shortage of Pfizer vaccines. The Center for Disease Control [CDC] and the Federal Drug Agency [FDA] have previously approved the safety and efficacy of mixing the mRNA vaccines.
The FCHD will continue to provide Walk-in Covid Bivalent immunization on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. There will be a drive-in clinic at Indiana University Southeast on Saturday, September 24th, 2022 from 10 am to 2 pm. Individuals can register for the drive-in clinic online at ourshot.in.gov.
The CDC strongly recommends the Bivalent booster for everyone over 12 who has had the primary series and has not received a booster within 2 months. Please help us keep the rates of COVID-19 low in our community by keeping your COVID-19 immunity high.
Additionally, Flu shots are now available at the FCHD and many retail providers. There is early data from the Southern Hemisphere indicating that the Influenza outbreak may be more severe than usual this winter. Both influenza and COVID vaccinations are recommended by healthcare authorities
For further information, please contact the FCHD at 812-948-4726.
CDC's New Covid-19 Guidelines
The Floyd County Health Department endorses the CDC's new, Covid-19 guidelines (updated 8-11-22).
Click here to view the new CDC Guidelines
Covid BA.5 Update
Click here to view a message from the Floyd County Health Officer concerning Covid BA.5
CDC Covid-19 Tracker for Indiana - Floyd County classified as High Transmission Area
Children's Immunization Clinic
Our department will be offering multiple Children's Immunization Clinics for routine vaccines as well as Covid-19 vaccines. Please see the images below for more information.
Click here to schedule an Appointment
All clinics will be held at the Floyd County Health Department at 1917 Bono Road, New Albany IN 47150.
Covid-19 Testing Location Moving
*Beginning on April 1st, 2022, our Covid-19 testing will be conducted at the Floyd County Health Department. We will be closing the testing site at the Floyd County 4H Fairgrounds. Appointments are preferred but walk-ins are welcome. Click on the button below to schedule an appointment.
PLEASE NOTE
Covid vaccine appointments may be scheduled online with Nursing Services by clicking the "schedule an appointment" button above.
Additionally, special walk-in Covid vaccine clinics are held Mondays and Thursdays, 9-12 and 1-3.
Free Home COVID Tests
Every home in the U.S. is eligible to order 4 free at-home COVID-19 tests. The tests are completely free. Orders will usually ship in 7-12 days. Order your tests now so you have them when you need them.
Click here to get your free home Covid-19 tests.
Omicron Variant Detected in Indiana
On Sunday, the Indiana Department of Health announced that the first case of the Omicron variant had been detected in Indiana. The specimen had been collected from an unvaccinated patient on the 9th of December. Before yesterday, Indiana was one of only 7 states that had not reported an Omicron case.
Early studies suggest that the Omicron strain spreads faster and easier than the Delta variant. The State Health Commissioner, Dr. Kris Box, has voiced concerns that the new strain could "increase the burden on our already stressed healthcare system."
The Centers for Disease Control reports that the current COVID-19 vaccines are expected to continue the prevention of severe illness, hospitalization, and death in people infected with the Omicron variant.
Dr. Tom Harris, MD, Floyd County Health Officer, joins Dr. Box and CDC officials in recommending vaccination for all eligible Hoosiers 5 years and older. Booster immunization is also indicated for those over 16 years old with 6 months or more since the primary series of vaccinations with Moderna or Pfizer: or 2 months or more after Johnson and Johnson vaccination. Booster dosing appears to be very helpful in protecting against the new strain. Becoming fully vaccinated is critically important for the medically vulnerable and their caretakers. The 20 to 40-year-old age group may be especially vulnerable to the Omicron variant due to their low Covid vaccination rate.
The familiar Covid-19 mitigation measures are also helpful for the Omicron variant. Hoosiers are strongly recommended to wear a well-fitted mask indoors, test after the onset of symptoms or after close contact exposure, stay home if sick, wash hands or use sanitizer frequently, and avoid crowded indoor venues.
For a list of vaccination sites see www.ourshot.in.gov. For further information please contact the Floyd County Health Department at 812-948-4726.
Indoor Mask Recommendation
Due to continuing increases in infections related to the Delta variant of the COVID-19 virus, the Floyd County Health Department [FCHD] and the Floyd County Health Officer Dr. Tom Harris are strongly encouraging all Floyd County residents to wear a mask indoors in public places for the next month.
Floyd County has seen a marked rise in COVID-19 disease in the last 6 weeks. Currently, our local index is 13.95%, up from 8.29% just a month ago. The incidence per 100,000 population has accelerated to 337, a level not seen since last winter. Over 95% of new cases are the more virulent and infective Delta variant. We have been continued in ORANGE status this week by the Indiana Department of Health; only the RED category is higher. The Center for Disease Control rating for our community is similar. [Floyd County spent much of the early summer in the lower YELLOW category.] Additionally, the FCHD has encountered more people seeking COVID PCR and Antigen tests than earlier this year, in conjunction with reports from Primary Care Providers detailing more COVID-related office visits.
The mask recommendation does not apply to outdoor events or venues. Masks may be removed while eating or drinking in public areas. This recommendation does not change school-related mask requirements. We continue to support in-school mask requirements.
The FCHD continues to advise all eligible residents to get a vaccination for COVID-19, not only to protect themselves and their families but to help flatten the sharper curve of community disease caused by the Delta variant. Floyd County has 50.1% of the population fully vaccinated with 54.2% receiving at least 1 dose. 13.7% of our population is currently excluded from immunization due to age under 12. Over 76,000 doses have been given to Floyd County residents since the vaccination program started. The FCHD started giving the third or Booster dose to immunocompromised patients on Monday the 16th. We will also increase vaccine hours to meet the demands of the national Booster program estimated to begin September 20th. This will serve as the new recommendation for a third dose 8 months after the completion of the primary series.
This announcement is in agreement with Center for Disease Control updates. It is not a requirement or mandate and therefore is exempt from County Commissioner interference or voting under SEA 5-related statutes. However, if COVID disease continues to spread in our community despite mitigation measures our next step will be to request formal political approval of a county-wide mask mandate to protect the health and safety of our residents. For additional information please contact 812-948-4726.
Thomas M. Harris, MD, FACEP
Floyd County Health Officer
FCHD Policy for COVID Booster Immunizations, Effective 16 August 2021
According to the CDC, people who are eligible for a third dose are:
- People in active cancer treatment; those who have received organ transplants and are taking immunosuppressive therapy;
- People who have received CAR-T cell or blood stem cell transplants;
- People who suffer from moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency (such as those with DiGeorge or Wiskott-Aldrich syndromes);
- People with advanced, untreated, or unknown status HIV infection;
- People taking 20 milligrams or more of prednisone or similar corticosteroid every day, alkylating agents, antimetabolites, transplant-related immunosuppressive drugs, severely immunosuppressive cancer chemotherapeutic agents, TNF blockers, and other biologic agents that are immunosuppressive or immunomodulatory.
Patients should receive a third dose no earlier than 28 days from the completion of the second dose in the series. The patient should, whenever possible, receive the same brand of vaccine, at the standard dose. The Booster policy includes ages 12 and up.
The Johnson and Johnson vaccine is not included in the Booster regimen at this time; neither second dose efficacy or timing have been fully studied. People requesting Booster injections who previously received the J & J immunization will need to be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
We will start giving Booster doses on 16 August 2021 for walk-in patients, and we will schedule them for the Tuesday clinic and accept them at Pop-ups.
CDC estimates about 3% of the population fits the above criteria; this would suggest a need to provide about 2300 additional vaccine doses to the citizens of Floyd County. We will continue to encourage everyone eligible to get the primary series of COVID-19 immunizations, especially due to the Delta variant.
The CDC and the FDA have not issued guidelines for a general public Booster program, and currently, routine use of Booster doses in this population is not recommended. If this policy changes our local procedures will be modified as well.
Thomas M. Harris, MD, FACEP
Floyd County Health Officer
14 August 2021
Floyd County Health Department Executive Order Number 3-2021 Modified
08/06/21
After working with the Floyd County Commissioners, and with regard to the new SEA 5 statute, Executive Order 03 is modified.
The Floyd County Health Officer, Dr. Thomas Harris, MD is continuing to very strongly recommend that school agencies require the use of masks for in-school indoor education for grades K to 6. Masks are very strongly recommended for grades 7 to 12.
With this modification, each school system will be able to decide its course of action. The school systems will then report their decisions to the Health Department. The Floyd County Health Department stands ready to provide assistance and information in this process. The Centers for Disease Control, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Indiana State Department of Health all strongly support the use of masks for every in-classroom student.
The Delta Variant remains a significant threat to our community. It is 225% more infectious and has 1000 times the viral load of the original COVID-19 strain. At this time vaccines are not approved for children under 12 years old. Research also shows that the elementary age group clearly benefits from in-classroom instruction. Therefore, the public health response for this critical age depends on aggressive masking and mitigation measures to continue the best education modality for them.
This modification is also in accordance with the Governor’s Executive Order 21-19(4), issued on 29 July 2021.
Thomas M. Harris, MD, FACEP
Floyd County Health Officer
Covid-19 Information Resources
8/3/2020
Beware that there is a lot of misleading and incorrect information being circulated by podcasts and Facebook. We want people to have good data, so we are listing these sources that are highly respected by the medical field.
- https:///www.Medscape.com
- https://www.e-medicine.com/
- http://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
- https://www.coronavirus.in.gov/
Floyd County Mass Notification System
In the event that the county needs to disseminate information to Floyd County Residents regarding Covid-19, we would like to alert Floyd County Residents to sign up for the Floyd County Mass Notification System.
The Mass Notification System is an Emergency Alert System that will alert the residents of Floyd County on weather, imminent threats to health and safety as well as informational notifications that affect your locations or work environments.