Record number of vaccinations available in county
With COVID-19 infection numbers, hospitalizations and deaths at the lowest numbers in the county since June 2020, health officials are turning their focus toward vaccination.
In a seven-day period from Tuesday, March 30 to Monday, April 5, only 23 positive cases of the novel Coronavirus were reported in Wichita County, with 50 recoveries. As of Monday, only four were hospitalized with the virus, one in critical condition.
One death was reported as a result of Covid-19 in the past week, an 80+ year old.
The Wichita Falls-Wichita County Health District reported that to date, Wichita County has had 38 reinfections and of those, five are currently active cases.
In addition, there has been a total of eight vaccine break-though cases which are invidivuals who are fully vaccinated who later tested positive for COVID-19. Currenly it is unknown how much time had passed since the vaccine to the infection, or if any of those cases are new strains.
All Texas adults are now eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine regardles of age, occupation or health status.
Currently in Wichita County, only 20.94% of eligible residents have been fully vaccinated and 29.66% have received at least one shot.
The opportunity to get a vaccine in Wichita County this week is more probable as several healthcare providers are receiving the largest of allocations by the state since vaccinations began.
Among those receiving dose allocations from the Texas Department of State Health Services will be the Community Healthcare Center, who is getting 2,340 doses of the Pfizer vaccine.
The Clinics of North Texas and Kell West Regional Hospital will be receiving 2,400 doses and 1,000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
Other providers receiving the Johnson & Johnson vaccine are Walgreens Pharmacies (Wichita Falls), United and Market Street Pharmacies (Wichita Falls and Burkburnett) and the Texas Dept. of Criminal Justice Allred Unit.
Midwestern State University will receive 1,000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, and released the following announcement this week:
“MSU Texas is pleased to announce a partnership with the Texas Department of Emergency Management (TDEM) and the Texas Military Department (TMD) to host COVID-19 vaccine clinics beginning Thursday, April 8, and continuing each Tuesday and Thursday throughout the month of April as supply is available. Each vaccine clinic will be from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Sikes Lake Center, located on the MSU Texas south campus just off of Midwestern Parkway.
45 Clinics will utilize same-day registration and are on a first-come, firstserved basis. Individuals will be asked to present identification such as a driver’s license or state-issued ID. Members of the Texas Military Department will be on site to administer the vaccines. The single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine will be given at the first clinic (April 8).
“We are grateful for the opportunity to partner with the TDEM and TMD to host these clinics as we work together toward achieving herd immunity,” said Dr. Keith Williamson, Medical Director at MSU Texas. “Now that all Texans over the age of 18 are eligible to receive a vaccine, these clinics will be an important step to serve our campus community, as well as our local and regional communities.”
Those who have not yet gotten a Covid vaccine, but would like one are asked to call any of the providers listed, or the Wichita County Health Department.
