Where to get the shot and who is eligible in Mississippi

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Good afternoon, guys. And and I just want to touch on a few of the high points going back to actually, um, more than a year ago, Um, kind of cover, just a couple of things of interest and note that occurred throughout 2020 and the early part of 2021 then give a brief overview of of where we currently are now. So, um, what is known as as covid 19 now was actually on our radar very early in 2020 January 9th 2020 was actually the first notification that we sent out the providers in the state of a number of cases of pneumonia that had occurred in the Wuhan, China province. Um, that at the time, the cause was unknown. Um, but fast forward to, uh, January 21st just a couple of weeks later. And the first case by that time had been identified within the United States. And by February, um, it was at that point that we were calling it covid 19 or coronavirus. Uh, disease. Uh, that was first identified in December of 2019. Um, you know, it was apparent after that first case that was identified in late January in the United States that community spread had been occurring much more widely than was realized. And by late February, um, it was well documented. The community spread had occurred in Washington state, in Oregon and California, and by March 11th is when the World Health Organization first, uh reported and declared that this was a pandemic. It was coincidentally, at that time that Mississippi reported its first case, Um, and by March 19th, we had reported our first death in an individual over the age of 60. So, really, that was the beginning of our first wave in Mississippi that was marked by at that time, significant impact in our long term care settings, with about 50% of our deaths occurring among long term care residents. At that point, as the pandemic progressed by April of 2020 CDC had now recommended universal mask use. Um uh, as as a preventive measure to prevent transmission. Um, we were also becoming aware at that time of the impact of cases in Children. And it was in May of 2020 that Mississippi reported our first case of multi system inflammatory syndrome in Children. Um, and so that marked what was being seen nationally and across the world as well is the significant impact that this can occur in Children. By this time, we were starting to see some downward trends in our overall case numbers. But as you many of you remember, after the Fourth of July, um, in 2020 we began what really was the second way and far exceeded in case numbers and deaths. What we saw with the initial, um, wave in March and April. So that really lasted from July to September. And it was during that time in August of 2020 that we reported our first pediatric death in the state. As many of you all recall, um, we started to see some downward trends after late August and September going into school, Um, when school was starting and, uh, we saw some decreases in our overall case numbers and death. But heading toward the holidays. And by November of 2020 we again saw a big surge that actually lasted, um, through to to the end of January, early February of this year. Uh, it was during that third wave that we’ve had so far that we actually saw our peak number of hospitalizations on any given day at over 1400 hospitalizations reported out, we saw a peak number of cases on January 8th and more than 3500 cases were reported is actually occurring on that day. That was also when we saw our peak number of deaths with 57 deaths were occurring on one day, January 15th of 2021. It was also during this time that we identified our first variant strain of Covid 19. And, uh, as we know now, there have been multiple variant strains that have been identified in various parts of the U. S. And in the world. So where does that leave us where we are now? Well, we are continuing to see downward trends over these last few weeks. We have, uh, reported out today, uh, 70 cases. That’s one of the lowest that we’ve reported in quite some time and no deaths. But if you look at our trends, we continue to see some declines in the overall number of cases that are reported and occurring on a daily basis and the number of deaths. We are also seeing another a number of other indicators that are encouraging. We’re seeing our syndrome IQ surveillance, which is emergency department visits for for individuals with covid like illness. Those are on on the decline. When we look at our overall hospitalizations and I see you use for covid related illnesses and ventilator used for covid related illnesses, all of these indicators are on the way down. Um, we are also seeing, uh, some improvement and impact on our long term care settings. And we’re actually have more less than than 50 nursing homes in the state right now with ongoing outbreak. Um, these are all promising indicators, and they’re all good indicators that we are that we are moving in the right direction. So, Dr Dobbs, I think that brings us to, um, uh, March 2021. I’ll let you jump in with the, uh, the vaccine or, uh or or Liz you directed. Yes. So I’ll go ahead and give us an overview of where we are with our vaccination. So on December 14th, the first covid shots were given in the state of Mississippi, and this is the bottle where the first covid shots were given, and three of the people who received those doses are here with me today. Uh, Dr Paul buyers, Mr Jim Craig and myself And we were so excited to have the vaccine because we had been suffering horribly under this pandemic. December 14th was not the culmination of a year’s worth of research. It was the culmination of over a decade’s worth of research into a new and exciting technology to create vaccines from messenger RNA. We’re very fortunate that when the covid pandemic hit us, that the vaccine makers were ready set to ship for their messenger Arnie technology from flu and other infections and apply it for use with covid. And for that reason we have mRNA technology. Keep in mind, a lot of folks are worried that this was done very quickly. In a way, it was done very quickly. You know, we were able to pull together a vaccine and have it produced a really almost a miraculous sort of fashion. But the research behind it goes back many, many years, and the depth of the research, as far as the safety and efficacy meets the same standards as the other vaccines that we take every day. The flu shot the pneumonia shot the shingles vaccine Really phenomenal, exciting, developed If we think about this vaccine and we also know we were fortunate to have shortly thereafter the Moderna vaccine. And now, a week ago, we were able to get a hold of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine. And just last week, we were able to immunize, um, get over 130,000 shots and Mississippians to fight Children. Now the immunization effort hasn’t been easy. We’re not far into it, keep in mind. But it has not been easy, especially when we think about underserved populations, populations that might have good reason for historic mistrust of the government and healthcare system. And so, early on, we recognized that we were struggling with populations, uh, that were disproportionately affected by covid early on, as far as deaths and hospitalizations, primarily the African American community. Early on, black Mississippians were accounting for about 15% of the vaccine utilized Mississippi, while accounting for 38% of the population. But just this last week, we saw an increase to 30% of the vaccine going to black Mississippians, and our average overall has increased to 25%. So I do want to thank our partners. I’d like to thank leaders in the black community. Black ministers, um, leaders of physicians, nurses. We’ve really done a great job State Medical Association for making sure that there’s an understanding of how important this vaccine is. And it’s also something that that we need to do is get more access for everybody, not just, um, if you’re if you’re African American or if you’re Vietnamese or if you’re Hispanic or if you live in a rural area. So we’re really proud of the work that we’ve done with our vaccination. But we have a long way to go. We’re not done with the Covid pandemic. Covid is real, and we’re really winning, right? But just like in a baseball game, just if your upper runner two in the sixth or seventh inning, you don’t just lay down and let the other team just go at it on offense, it’s time to continue with some of the safety measures we have in place. Continue to mask in public, continue to avoid indoor social gatherings and get vaccinated when it’s your turn. Now, fortunately, we’re seeing some light at the end of the tunnel, CDC released new guidance today that says, If you are going to do something with other people who are vaccinated, you can do social events or be around other folks without a mask if you’re all vaccinated, Fantastic developments. We got a lot of optimism on the horizon, but we also have challenges. We have viral variants. We have variants that are more contagious and maybe some that are going to make that seem less effective. I just want to reiterate how important is to do these approaches in tandem vaccination and prevention, although there is not a statewide mandate right now or really, you know, most of those are gonna be local as they exist all over the state I’ve seen over the past week people continue to show prudent behavior by wearing masks in public, and I just want us to keep that up. I’m proud of Mississippi. I’m proud of what we’re doing. Let’s keep our foot on the accelerator, pushing covid down so that we can get back to full normal before too long. And that’s all that I have and I’ll kick it back to you. Liz, thank you so much. And Dr Dobbs, I didn’t hear you mention this, But one of our other great partners working with the African American communities has been the historically black colleges and universities. So a big thank you to them as well. Uh, Jim Craig, can you go ahead, please? Sure. Thank you. And I appreciate the opportunity to share just a little bit of the history of of where we’ve come from from last year to now on our testing front and also in our vaccination efforts, especially in our drive through operations. So just a short time ago, March 3rd 2020 is when we stood up the Health Department’s Emergency Operations Center and began formalized response to the Covid pandemic. A few weeks later, March 16th Governor Reeves activated the Mississippi National Guard, and they have been a wonderful partner in both our testing mission and in our vaccination mission through the drive thru locations. March 20th. Community testing began throughout the state, uh, including a lot of our county Health Department’s normal referral places for testing, while every health department is not open every day of the week, we tried to work to make sure that testing was available in every county, at least once once to twice a week to fill those holes that might exist between private providers that were out there. Providing coding testing March 24th was a great date for testing when we opened the Mississippi Fairgrounds, and you might remember that we had a testing location out there for quite some time. That was supported by other great partner at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in June 3rd, we transitioned away from the fairgrounds and moved over to the Capital city testing Center at the Farmer’s Market, where it’s still providing testing for the capital city area today and operates Monday through Saturday on December 30th. If we look for what happened since the beginning of our operations through that first year are cumulative number of testing site days. Days where we actually tested somewhere was 2750 and the Capital City location at that point the end of December had tested 34,481 individuals. Total testing in the state of Mississippi by December 30th was one point set just a little over 1.7 million Mississippians that had been tested march 7th 2021 we jump ahead to where are we at now? Compared to last year, instead of 2750 cumulative testing days, we’re now at 3360. Our capital city site is now tested 52,637 individuals, and our total testing as of the 28th of February statewide is 2,472,673 specimens processed. So that testing effort and again in combination with the University Medical Center, the Mississippi National Guard, Mima. Lots of folks in some great teams at the Health department, especially our local health departments, being part of that process has made it a very successful event for for providing testing in Mississippi, we transitioned a lot of that infrastructure in the beginning is vaccination talks were coming to roll from not only providing back testing, but also providing vaccinations are county health departments. There were specific county health departments were set up a couple in each one of the regions. So we have some regional distribution of where the very, very limited amount of vaccine in the very beginning could be made available, but we knew that there would be growing numbers of vaccine coming to the state. And to make sure that we were prepared for that, we started recruiting sites that would be larger, closer to well traveled highways closer to our population centers. That could begin providing a vaccine in greater numbers. So we we started vaccinating January the fourth 2021 in our drive throughs, and we began that transition to many of the sites that we have Now. You know, we operate 19 sites around the state as state operated sites, and I’ll just share a quick graphic to to show where those sites are. Case you can. You all see that? So this is the 19 sites of where we’re located, two in each of the public health districts, and there are three in the central part of the state. In addition, we have some county partners, local county governments, mercy managers in some cases, hospital school nursing programs from some of the colleges, a lot of people part of this process, and these teams bringing vaccination to different parts in the drive thru settings. So these are county sites that are serviced through state appointments. Uh, Oklahoma County, Um, and at their calcium started last week. Bolivar County started the week before. Warren County has been with us for a while. Sharkey is the quinoa started last week at the old armory. Lawrence County has been with us for a little while and starting next week or two weeks, I’m sorry, Liz, Claiborne County and Alcorn University will be their nursing program. Will be supporting that as you notice where a lot of the county locations we’ve tried to emphasize or in the Mississippi Delta. So as we again try to work to make sure to address the health equity issues, we want to make sure vaccines available as much as possible in these particular areas. Let me stop the share for a minute and lives. That’s kind of a short update on where we’ve come from testing and vaccination. Mhm

COVID-19 vaccine: Where to get the shot and who is eligible in Mississippi

Updated: 10:07 AM CDT Mar 14, 2021

When will I be able to get vaccinated for COVID-19?Mississippi is working to administer the COVID-19 vaccine as quickly as possible. The state is now offering the Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which is also known as the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine. Who is eligible?Any Mississippi resident who is 50 or older is eligible to get the vaccine. Other eligible groups include:Teachers, staff and employees in K-12, preschool or childcare settings. (For appointments on or after March 1st)Public safety personnel: Law enforcement, public safety, fire services and emergency management officials. Anyone 16 to 49 years old with a chronic health condition that may put them at higher risk from COVID-19. (18 or older at drive-through sites.) Tap here for additional details about who is eligible. To sign up for an appointment, go to covidvaccine.umc.edu or call 877-978-6453. The state has been receiving a steady flow of vaccine doses, state health officials said. Inoculations are being done at hospitals, community health centers, private clinics and at state-run drive-thru locations throughout the state. You can find more information about vaccination sites on the Mississippi State Department of Health’s website. Vaccinations will also be administered through the federal pharmacy program, which includes more than 30 Walmart pharmacies across Mississippi. Latest COVID-19 Cases, Deaths in Mississippi:The Mississippi State Department of Health has reported 203 new COVID-19 cases and five additional deaths.There have been 300,780 COVID-19 cases and 6,901 coronavirus-related deaths in Mississippi since March 2020.COVID-19 Headlines: Week of Mar. 8, 2021New guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say people fully vaccinated against COVID-19 can safely visit with other vaccinated people and small groups of unvaccinated people in some circumstances, but there are still important safety precautions needed.Senators approved the nearly $2 trillion stimulus package on a 50-49 party-line vote. That sets up final congressional approval by the House so lawmakers can whisk it to President Joe Biden for his signature. Biden said Saturday that the plan means $1,400 checks to individuals would be sent out this month.As more jurisdictions join Mississippi, Texas and other states in lifting mask mandates and easing restrictions on businesses, many essential workers are relieved by changes that might help the economy but also concerned they could make them less safe amid a pandemic that health experts warn is far from over. What are the symptoms of COVID-19?Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, these are the symptoms you should watch out for:Fever or chillsCoughShortness of breath or difficulty breathingFatigueMuscle or body achesHeadacheNew loss of taste or smellSore throatCongestion or runny noseNausea or vomitingDiarrheaThis list does not include all possible symptoms. CDC will continue to update this list as they learn more about the virus.Should I get tested for COVID-19? Where can I get a test in Mississippi?The CDC recommends that you should consider taking a COVID-19 test if you:have symptoms of COVID-19.have had close contact (within 6 feet for a total of 15 minutes or more) with someone with confirmed COVID-19.have been asked or referred to get testing by their healthcare provider, local/external icon or state ​health department.Tap here to find free COVID-19 testing near you.The FDA has also approved a test for COVID-19 that you can take at home. The test kits are available for purchase on Amazon with a turnaround time for results of 24 to 72 hours after the sample is shipped and received.Emergency care for COVID-19 symptomsThe CDC says to look for emergency warning signs for coronavirus. If someone is showing any of these signs, seek emergency medical care immediately:Trouble breathingPersistent pain or pressure in the chestNew confusionInability to wake or stay awakeBluish lips or faceThis list is not all possible symptoms. Call your medical provider for any other symptoms that are severe or concerning to you. Call 911 or call ahead to your local emergency facility: Notify the operator that you are seeking care for someone who has or may have COVID-19.Who is most at risk for coronavirus?Anyone can have mild to severe symptoms of COVID-19, according to the CDC.Older adults and people who have severe underlying medical conditions like heart or lung disease or diabetes seem to be at higher risk for developing more serious complications from the virus.Flu or COVID-19. What’s the difference between them?Because some of the symptoms of flu and COVID-19 are similar, it may be hard to tell the difference between them based on symptoms alone. That’s when testing may be needed to help confirm a diagnosis.There are some key differences between the flu and COVID-19. The CDC says it seems COVID-19 spreads more easily than the flu and causes more serious illnesses in some people. It can also take longer before people show symptoms of COVID-19 and people can be contagious for a longer period of time than the flu.Another difference is there is a vaccine to protect against the flu. There is currently no vaccine to prevent COVID-19. The best way to prevent infection is to avoid being exposed to the virus.

JACKSON, Miss. —

When will I be able to get vaccinated for COVID-19?

Mississippi is working to administer the COVID-19 vaccine as quickly as possible. The state is now offering the Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which is also known as the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine.

Who is eligible?

Any Mississippi resident who is 50 or older is eligible to get the vaccine.

Other eligible groups include:

Teachers, staff and employees in K-12, preschool or childcare settings. (For appointments on or after March 1st)

Public safety personnel: Law enforcement, public safety, fire services and emergency management officials.

Anyone 16 to 49 years old with a chronic health condition that may put them at higher risk from COVID-19. (18 or older at drive-through sites.)

Tap here for additional details about who is eligible.

To sign up for an appointment, go to covidvaccine.umc.edu or call 877-978-6453.

The state has been receiving a steady flow of vaccine doses, state health officials said. Inoculations are being done at hospitals, community health centers, private clinics and at state-run drive-thru locations throughout the state. You can find more information about vaccination sites on the Mississippi State Department of Health’s website.

Vaccinations will also be administered through the federal pharmacy program, which includes more than 30 Walmart pharmacies across Mississippi.

Latest COVID-19 Cases, Deaths in Mississippi:

The Mississippi State Department of Health has reported 203 new COVID-19 cases and five additional deaths.

There have been 300,780 COVID-19 cases and 6,901 coronavirus-related deaths in Mississippi since March 2020.

COVID-19 Headlines: Week of Mar. 8, 2021

New guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say people fully vaccinated against COVID-19 can safely visit with other vaccinated people and small groups of unvaccinated people in some circumstances, but there are still important safety precautions needed.

Senators approved the nearly $2 trillion stimulus package on a 50-49 party-line vote. That sets up final congressional approval by the House so lawmakers can whisk it to President Joe Biden for his signature. Biden said Saturday that the plan means $1,400 checks to individuals would be sent out this month.

As more jurisdictions join Mississippi, Texas and other states in lifting mask mandates and easing restrictions on businesses, many essential workers are relieved by changes that might help the economy but also concerned they could make them less safe amid a pandemic that health experts warn is far from over.

What are the symptoms of COVID-19?

Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, these are the symptoms you should watch out for:

• Fever or chills
• Cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Fatigue
• Muscle or body aches
• Headache
• New loss of taste or smell
• Sore throat
• Congestion or runny nose
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea

This list does not include all possible symptoms. CDC will continue to update this list as they learn more about the virus.

Should I get tested for COVID-19? Where can I get a test in Mississippi?

The CDC recommends that you should consider taking a COVID-19 test if you:

• have symptoms of COVID-19.
• have had close contact (within 6 feet for a total of 15 minutes or more) with someone with confirmed COVID-19.
• have been asked or referred to get testing by their healthcare provider, local/external icon or state ​health department.

Tap here to find free COVID-19 testing near you.

The FDA has also approved a test for COVID-19 that you can take at home. The test kits are available for purchase on Amazon with a turnaround time for results of 24 to 72 hours after the sample is shipped and received.

Emergency care for COVID-19 symptoms

The CDC says to look for emergency warning signs for coronavirus. If someone is showing any of these signs, seek emergency medical care immediately:

• Trouble breathing
• Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
• New confusion
• Inability to wake or stay awake
• Bluish lips or face

This list is not all possible symptoms. Call your medical provider for any other symptoms that are severe or concerning to you. Call 911 or call ahead to your local emergency facility: Notify the operator that you are seeking care for someone who has or may have COVID-19.

Who is most at risk for coronavirus?

Anyone can have mild to severe symptoms of COVID-19, according to the CDC.

Older adults and people who have severe underlying medical conditions like heart or lung disease or diabetes seem to be at higher risk for developing more serious complications from the virus.

Flu or COVID-19. What’s the difference between them?

Because some of the symptoms of flu and COVID-19 are similar, it may be hard to tell the difference between them based on symptoms alone. That’s when testing may be needed to help confirm a diagnosis.

There are some key differences between the flu and COVID-19. The CDC says it seems COVID-19 spreads more easily than the flu and causes more serious illnesses in some people. It can also take longer before people show symptoms of COVID-19 and people can be contagious for a longer period of time than the flu.

Another difference is there is a vaccine to protect against the flu. There is currently no vaccine to prevent COVID-19. The best way to prevent infection is to avoid being exposed to the virus.