Nevada Appeal Capitol Bureau
Thursday, December 16, 2021
Health officials say nearly 30,000 children aged 5-11 have been vaccinated and more than 431,000 Nevadans have received not only their initial shots but their booster shot.
In just the past 10 days, authorities say nearly 62,000 booster and third doses have been administered across the state.
State officials have launched the Protect Nevada’s Future campaign, focusing on ages 5-11. Clinical trials indicate the vaccine has a 90.9 percent efficacy rate in preventing the disease in children and that side effects were very mild. They point out that vaccinating kids not only protects them from the disease but members of the community who are vulnerable to infection because of age and those who can’t get vaccinated because their immune systems are compromised.
South African scientists say their research indicates the risk of hospitalization may be up to 29 percent lower with the omicron variant than the delta variant and that those hospitalized had a 67 percent shorter stay.
Because omicron appears to transmit more easily, health officials are still recommending not only a vaccination and booster shot but continuing to wear a mask when around people outside your household, maintain social distancing and avoid crowds and get tested to prevent spreading the virus to others.
