County has 72 percent vaccinated, but 88,000 still not protected

By FRED SWIFT

The County Line

Compared to other Indiana counties, Hamilton County is doing well with COVID-19 vaccination rates, says Christian Walker, Public Health Preparedness Coordinator with the county health department. He says about 72 percent of local residents age five and over have been vaccinated. That’s 228,000, which should make the county among the best protected in the state.

However, Walker told county commissioners this week that 88,000 residents remain unvaccinated. This includes youngsters ages five to 11 who are now eligible for the vaccine and are hopefully in the process of getting their shots.

Health officials continue to urge all residents to become vaccinated including a booster shot, as the rise in infections is “approaching a level seen at the peak for the Delta variant.”

The health department has found a rise in COVID cases in elementary and middle schools, and predicts a likely increase during the upcoming holiday travel period, Walker said.

Also troubling, but not totally unexpected, is the fact that there have been 2,800 so-called “breakthrough” cases since February. This is when a vaccinated person still contracts COVID. The breakthrough percentage is still small out of the 228,000 who have been inoculated.

Walker appeared at the commissioners’ regular meeting Monday to update members on the pandemic situation in the county.