Child vaccination numbers in Henrico jump; new cases remain low

A day after Henrico reported more than 50 new COVID-19 cases for the first time this month (57), that number dipped again to just 34 Friday, according to Virginia Department of Health data. Henrico is averaging 36 new daily cases during the past seven days, roughly the same average level at which it’s remained throughout November.

Henrico’s seven-day positivity percentage among PCR testing encounters was 4.2% as of Nov. 8, while its percentage among rapid testing encounters was 3.9%. Both were more than 1% below the state averages.

The county has witnessed seven new COVID-related deaths this week but just a net total of one new hospitalization. (Three other hospitalizations were reported, but three previous ones attributed to Henrico also were removed from the county’s ledger following a VDH data correction.)

During the first eight days children 5 to 11 years old were eligible to receive the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, 1,128 in Henrico did so.

But that number nearly doubled on the ninth day alone, when more than 900 children from the county got their first dose of vaccine, according to the VDH. Now, 7.2% (2,034 in total) of the more than 28,000 Henrico children in that age range have gotten a dose.

In Henrico, 69% of children and teens between the ages of 12 and 15 have had at least one dose of vaccine, while nearly 78% of teens 16 and 17 have.

The least vaccinated group in Henrico, according to the age ranges shown by the VDH, is the 25-to-34 year-old group; only 65% of those residents have had at least one dose. By contrast, 93% of those 65 to 74 in Henrico have had at least one dose.

The latter group also is leading the way in booster shot uptake; nearly 11,000 people 65 to 74 in Henrico – or about 43% of that population – have received their booster shots to date, according to the VDH. Overall, nearly 37,000 people in the county have received booster shots.

On Friday – nearly 11 months after the vaccination process began – Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam announced that the state had reached a 75% level of full vaccination among adults 18 and older and that 83% of adults in the state had received at least one dose of vaccine. In total, more than 11.6 million doses have been administered to Virginians, he said.

“The vaccine is more accessible than ever thanks to the hard work of medical professionals, with everyone ages 5 and above now eligible and booster shots available for adults,” Northam said. “Virginia ranks 10th among all states and 1st in the South in the percent of people fully vaccinated against COVID-19—so many Virginians have done their part to make our Commonwealth a safer place.”“Thanks to the efforts of our agency partners and countless public health professionals, as well as a robust campaign to spread awareness about the vaccine’s potential to save lives, Virginia’s vaccination rate continues to outpace the national average, leading the way in protecting people from COVID-19,” said Virginia state vaccination liaison Dr. Danny Avula. “This is an important milestone that has been months in the making, and with the recent authorizations for booster doses and a vaccine for children ages 5-11, the Virginia Department of Health will continue to ensure that vaccines are available.”To find vaccination opportunities statewide, visit vaccinate.virginia.gov or call 877-VAX-IN-VA (877-829-4682, TTY users call 7-1-1. For local opportunities specifically, visit vax.rchd.com or call 804-205-3501.