Editor’s Note: Read COVID updates by VashonBePrepared in Spanish and English at tinyurl.com/yan39zeh.
There were 19 newly reported Vashon cases on the King County COVID data dashboard for the week ending June 24.
However, Vashon Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) counted 40 cases for that week — cases aggregated by Vashon MRC have consistently shown twice the rate reported by the county. Contributing factors likely included end-of-school-year activities and the highly contagious Omicron variant.
Vashon’s latest overall rate of 9,254 new reported cases per 100,000 people is less than half the rate of 20,298 per 100,000 for King County as a whole.
Vashon MRC tracks the official statistical dashboard maintained by Public Health — Seattle & King County (PHSKC), the COVID dashboard from Vashon Island School District, test data from Vashon Pharmacy, and local reports to the MRC helpline. Keep helping MRC track island COVID trends by reporting positive home tests to the MRC helpline, (844) 469-4554.
COVID vaccines now approved for children younger than 5
On June 19, the Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup concluded that vaccines for children aged 6 months to 5 years are safe and effective. Vaccine providers in Washington have begun administering free Pfizer or Moderna vaccines to this newly eligible age group.
Where and when can I get my child vaccinated?
Vashon Pharmacy (children 3+ years) – Moderna in stock, Pfizer expected soon. Make appointments at VashonPharmacy.com.
SeaMar Vashon – Vaccines on order but arrival date unknown. Call (206) 463-3671 for appointments.
Vashon Natural Medicine – Not providing vaccines yet.
Public Health — Seattle & King County – Vaccines are offered at some locations. Check at KingCounty.gov/vaccine.
As a parent, what do I need to know?
Here are some excerpts from epidemiologist Katelyn Jetelina’s Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), at tinyurl.com/YLE-under5s:
What’s the vaccination schedule for this age group?
Moderna: two doses, spaced one month apart. A third dose is likely to be recommended soon, which will improve protection. Each dose is one-fourth the dose for adults.
Pfizer: three doses – two doses spaced three weeks apart, and a third dose two or more months after the second dose. Each dose is one-tenth the dose for adolescents and adults.
Does my child need the vaccine?
Yes. Children aged 0 to 4 years have experienced a significant burden of disease from COVID, and 442 American children in this age group have died so far.
While younger children are less likely to become seriously ill or die, more children are dying from COVID in the U.S. than from other vaccine-preventable diseases (see chart).
Children in this youngest group experienced more hospitalizations than other pediatric age groups, and one in four children in this age group who were hospitalized for COVID ended up in the ICU. Children can get long COVID, and vaccines may reduce the chances of long COVID by 15-50%.
Are the vaccines safe?
Vaccines given to this age group during clinical trials resulted in mild or moderate side effects, with no safety concerns. No children in the clinical trials developed myocarditis or pericarditis. Find out more at tinyurl.com/YaleMed-under5.
Are the vaccines effective?
More from Dr. Jetelina: “Clinical trials found that antibody numbers were comparable to the older age group. In other words, the two doses of Moderna and three doses of Pfizer worked.”
Is it COVID or not? Feeling sick but testing negative
Since coronavirus testing became widely available, health experts have encouraged us to test when we develop COVID-like symptoms. But increasingly, people are speaking up about being sick, almost certainly with COVID, and repeatedly testing negative. Experts point to a variety of factors, including vaccines, our immune system, and the virus itself.
Last month in The New York Times, science journalist Melinda Wenner Moyer explored this topic after it happened in her family. Moyer and her husband were vaccinated and boosted, and their children were fully vaccinated.
Their 7-year-old daughter became ill after being exposed at school and quickly tested positive on a rapid-antigen test. Moyer’s husband and their 11-year-old son soon became sick with classic coronavirus symptoms. But they tested negative for seven days straight; Moyer never became ill and continually tested negative. She turned to experts to understand what had occurred.
Vaccination status is important in this scenario, immunologist Dr. Gigi Gronvall told Moyer. Once we are vaccinated, our immune systems start working much faster after an exposure. This activity slows viral reproduction and spread, and it may make us less likely to test positive.
Despite testing negative, people may still feel sick. That’s because COVID symptoms, including fever, fatigue and runny nose, are caused by our immune systems fighting off the virus, and not by the virus itself, Moyer wrote. One expert told Moyer that it’s possible her husband and son tested negative repeatedly because COVID was replicating outside of the tests’ reach, possibly in their brains, hearts, kidneys or other organs.
A big difference exists between never testing positive and not yet testing positive, Moyer stressed. Most people exposed to the virus and experiencing COVID symptoms will test positive eventually. However, many people may stop testing too early, likely further spreading illness in the process.
Dr. Gronvall recommends that people with two to three doses of vaccine should test with symptom onset, and continue through day four or five of symptoms.
Free tests are still available. Washington residents may request tests at sayyescovidhometest.org and from the federal government at COVID.gov.
Public health officials urge people who have been exposed to COVID-19 but still test negative to follow guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Those guidelines include wearing a well-fitting, high-quality mask around other people for 10 days.
To read Moyer’s account of her family’s experience in full, see tinyurl.com/moyer-story.
Make a Plan for If You Test Positive After-Hours
What do you do when the dreaded second line comes up on your home antigen test, and it is outside of normal clinic hours? First, protect those around you—isolate, mask, and notify recent close contacts.
Next, talk to your healthcare provider about possible treatment with an antiviral medication, such as Paxlovid. To be effective, Paxlovid has to be taken within the first five days of developing symptoms, but it is best started as soon as possible.
Those at higher risk can plan ahead by learning in advance how to get medical help after hours. Your provider or health-insurance plan may cover access to 24/7 phone consultations or a telehealth appointment with off-island urgent care.
More information can be found at tinyurl.com/WADOH-testpositive.
Call the MRC Helpline at (844) 469-4554 to report a positive test, and for further guidance.
Latest Vashon COVID Statistics
Source: Public Health — Seattle & King County (PHSKC) and Vashon Emergency Operations Center. New and historic case counts shown here reflect test results from the public health reporting system, which does not capture results from home tests.
28 = New cases reported since the last weekly report (40 new cases in 14 days).
1008 = Total COVID cases for Vashon residents since the pandemic began.
17 = Patients hospitalized since the pandemic began.
5 = Deaths since the pandemic began.
94.0% = percentage of Vashon residents age 5+ who have completed the primary series, compared to 86.2% of the King County 5+ population.
68.1% = percentage of Vashon residents age 5+ who have added a booster shot to their completed primary series.
For King County, the PHSKC dashboard for the last 30 days says people who are not fully vaccinated are 1.4 times more likely to get COVID, six times more likely to be hospitalized for COVID and nine times more likely to die of COVID.
For more resources, visit VashonBePrepared.org or visit the group’s Facebook page. Sign up at tinyurl.com/4smk364m to receive email updates.
