Douglas County surpasses vaccination milestone

EXPECTED LATER THIS YEAR.DOUGLAS COUNTY HIT A BIGMILESTONE TODAY AS NOW OVER 50PERCENT OF THE ELIGIBLEPOPULATION IS FULLY VACCINATEDFROM COVID-19.WITH EXPERTS EYEING THEIDEAL PERCENTAGE OF POPULATIONVACCINATED MORE AROUND 70PERCENT TO REACH HERD IMMUNITY,50 PERCENT STILL INCHES USCLOSER TO THAT GOAL.3 NEWS NOW REPORTER RUTAULCINAITE HAS MORE ON HOW OTHERNEBRASKA COUNTIES ARE FAIRING.(GFX PIC)DOUGLAS COUNTY HIT A HUGEMILESTONE ÃOVER 50 PERCENT OFTHE 16 AND OLDER POPULATION ISNOW FULLY VACCINATED FROMCOVID-19.PHIL ROONEY"IT’S BEEN A VERY ENCOURAGINGWEEK HERE AS WE MOVE PAST THEPERCENT MARK."PHIL ROONEY WITH THE HEALTHDEPARTMENT CREDITS THE BIG JUMPIN PERCENTAGE TO A BUSYVACCINATION WEEKEND WITH OVER3,000 PEOPLE RECEIVING THEIRSECOND DOSES."WE DO CONSIDER THAT QUITE AMILESTONE, IT’S OBVIOUSLYSOMETHING WE’RE NOT SATISFIEDWITH BUT IT’S A REALLY GOODSTART."WHAT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT WOULDBE SATISFIED WITH IS AROUND 80PERCENT OF PEOPLE VACCINATED.EXPERTS SAY IT’S AROUND THATTHRESHOLD THAT’S NEEDED TO REACHFULL HERD IMMUNITY.DR. RUPP"SOME PEOPLE SUGGEST THAT IT’SGOING TO BE 70, 80, 90 PERCENTAND THEREFORE 50 PERCENT ISN’TCLOSE ENOUGH YET."(GFX)NONETHELESS, DOUGLAS COUNTY ISSTILL FAIRING BETTER THAN MOSTSURROUNDING COUNTIES AND THESTATE AVERAGE....THREE RIVERS PUBLIC HEALTH,WHICH SERVES WASHINGTON, DODGEAND SAUNDERS COUNTIES HAS 47.2PERCENT OF THEIR ELIGIBLEPOPULATION FULLY VACCINATED.THE SARPY/CASS COUNTY HEALTHDEPARTMENT HAS 39.4 PERCENT OFTHEIR POPULATION FULLYVACCINATED.STATEWIDE, 49.6% OF NEBRASKA’SPOPULATION OVER 16-YEARS-OLD ISVACCINATED.DOUGLAS COUNTY PLANS ONCONTINUING TO INCREASE THEIRMILESTONE BY ADDING MORE WALK-INCLINICS AND STARTING THEIR*MOBILE CLINICS, WHICH THEY HOPETO ROLL OUT BY THIS WEEKEND."I THINK IT IS GOING TO BEIMPORTANT TO MAKE IT JUST ASCONVENIENT AS POSSIBLE FORPEOPLE TO BE VACCINATED."*ESPECIALLY NOW THAT NEXT INLINE TO GET VACCINATED ARETEENAGERS, WHO WILL NEEDPARENTAL SUPERVISION AND APARENT OR GUARDIAN TO COME WITHTHEM TO GET A VACCINE.REPORTING IN OMAHA