In just a few months, it will be four years since COVID came to Kentucky and the first case was diagnosed. Coronavirus will still be around and prevalent when families gather for the fast-approaching holidays.
Kentucky Public Health Commissioner Steven Stack said Kentuckians should continue to practice the “golden rule” when it comes to COVID or other illnesses; if you’re sick, stay home. Even vaccinated and boosted, Stack said in a crowded indoor setting, the risk of getting COVID is still very high.
“Since we’re standing close in the shopping line now, if you have people over for parties, if you go to a restaurant and you sit in a packed restaurant. It’s loud where people are talking and laughing and having a good time. If you do that stuff on and off over a week you should just assume you’re being exposed multiple times to COVID,” said Stack.
The difference today is that, for most people, according to Dr. Stack, the respiratory disease doesn’t carry near the impact. That’s because of vaccinations and past infections. But, the health commissioner noted COVID is still serious, especially for the medically frail, with more than 40 deaths a week.
For the very young, vaccine availability can be an issue. Stack said most pediatricians can’t afford to have a large inventory of the costly vaccine, since it has a relatively short shelf-life.
“And so there have been some challenges for the youngest children because the only folks that would likely vaccinate really young children are pediatricians or clinics or doctors' offices that routinely take care of children. So, that’s a smaller subset,” said Stack.
In those cases, Stack suggests checking with a commercial retail pharmacy, health department, or university medical center. The health commissioner said it’s possible that a longer-lasting vaccine may be developed at some point, but not in the near future. COVID vaccinations are suggested for babies at six months.
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