The Summit County Health Department says it’s time for new COVID, flu, and RSV vaccines.
Like the rest of the country, Utah is seeing an uptick in COVID cases. Phil Bondurant, director of the Summit County Health Department, said two new variants are circulating in the area.
“There’s a lot of buzz around COVID right now, and unfortunately, despite our best efforts, I think that’s going to be the common case in the seasonality of what we’re starting to see is COVID,” he said. “Currently we have two dominant strains here in the United States. Those are Fornax and Eris… and they’ve been identified as variants of concern.”
Another new strain, Pirola, has been confirmed elsewhere in the U.S. but hasn’t been detected in Utah yet.
Although cases are on the rise, Bondurant said the numbers don’t come as a surprise, with children back in class and people spending more time indoors as fall begins.
“It’s nothing that falls outside of the normal seasonality that we’ve seen,” he said. “Back-to-school colds and sniffles are a common thing.”
FDA-approved COVID tests are still considered accurate for all strains of the virus, but Bondurant reminded people at-home tests can occasionally present false results. He advised people to stay home if they have symptoms, even if they test negative.
“Regardless of what that test shows, if someone is sick or not feeling well, we encourage them – please stay home,” he said. “Protect your coworkers, your loved ones, and just give yourself a few days to recover and limit the transmission of whatever it is that you’re dealing with, and then get back to your normal routine once you’re feeling a little better.”
Free COVID tests are available at local libraries and the Summit County Health Department, and the latest COVID vaccine is expected to be available mid-September. For information about where to get a vaccine, visit vaccines.gov.
RSV is another respiratory disease of particular concern for infants and the elderly. The vaccine is now available and recommended for all vulnerable groups.
And the flu vaccine is expected to be available in early October. The health department is partnering with senior groups to provide opportunities including drive-through vaccine clinics to get ahead of the flu season.
