The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urges everyone six months and older to get an updated COVID vaccine.
The week of July 28, 436 new COVID-19 cases were reported in Delaware, a jump from 375 cases the week before. The state has 36 hospitalizations for COVID, nine of which are new and were reported last week.
But Associate Infection Prevention Officer and Pediatric Infectious Disease Specialist at ChristianaCare Stephen Eppes says more people are testing at home and self-managing, so many cases go unreported.
He says vaccination rates are also down and emphasizes everyone six months and older should update their status, especially as kids return to school.
“I’m not going to try to predict what is going to happen in three or four weeks, but just to say it could lead to a further rise in cases," Eppes says. "And so what is our best line of defense? It really is vaccination.”
According to the state’s COVID dashboard, only 16.2 percent of the eligible population has an updated 2023/2024 vaccine. The new vaccine that targets the latest strain of COVID will be available in late August or early September.
“No we’re not on lockdown anymore, we don’t have to mask everywhere we go, but we do have to be smart about it and realize that the virus is still around and still has the potential to make people sick, and cause hospitalizations, ICU admission, and death," Eppes says.
Eppes emphasizes that kids four years of age and under are severely under-immunized, just four percent have received their full primary series of vaccines against COVID. They are also the third most likely group to require hospitalization if they get sick, after people ages 65 and older and people ages 50-64.
COVID is also the first infectious disease cause of death for kids four and under, and the eighth leading cause of death overall for kids four and under.
The Delaware Department of Public Health says in a statement that vaccination is the best defense for COVID and for influenza. The COVID-19 and flu vaccines can be administered at the same time.
