Kalamazoo County COVID19 Update- November 5, 2021

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For Immediate Release

November 3, 2021

Health Department sets vaccination clinic dates for the 5-11 year old Age Group

and sets date for Kalamazoo County K-6 Grade Mask Order to be Rescinded

 Kalamazoo, MI – The following is an update from the Kalamazoo County Health & Community Services Department for COVID19-related information:

Information on Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine Clinics for Children 5-11 year old’s

The Kalamazoo County Health & Community Services Department will start vaccinating children ages 5-11 years old with the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine on Saturday, November 6 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the health department located at 311 E. Alcott Street. Parents/guardians wishing to protect their children from COVID-19 may schedule an appointment with the health department at www.kalcounty.com/covid19vaccine or by calling the COVID-19 Call Center 269-373-5200 (Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.). Appointments for Saturday’s clinic are required.

 

Parental/guardian consent details for health department clinics:

• 5-11 year old’s must be accompanied by an adult at the clinic. If the adult present is not the parent or legal guardian, a pre-filled Registration Form must be completed and signed by the parent or legal guardian and brought to the vaccine clinic. Only one adult should accompany the minor to the appointment due to space limitations.

 

“As a family doctor, I recommend the COVID-19 vaccine for children and adolescents aged five years or older. As a parent, I will be vaccinating my five-year old. I encourage parents with questions to talk with their family doctor, pediatrician, or nurse about getting the COVID-19 vaccine for their child,” said Dr. William Nettleton, Medical Director for the Kalamazoo County Health & Community Services Department.

 

If unable to attend the health department’s November 6 clinic, parents and guardians may schedule a COVID-19 vaccine appointment at the health department during regular clinic hours, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. beginning Monday, November 8. There will be no walk-in appointments available at the health department for the 5-11 year old age group for their COVID-19 Pfizer vaccine. An appointment is required.

 

The COVID-19 vaccine is widely available in the community. To find other vaccination clinic options available in the community, you may contact your child’s doctor or visit www.vaccines.gov.

 

Rescission of Public Health Order

The Kalamazoo County Health & Community Services Department is set to rescind the August 18, 2021 public health order requiring the use of face masks by individuals in kindergarten through grade six while in an educational setting. The order is rescinded as of 5:00 p.m. on Friday, December 17, 2021.

 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), and the Kalamazoo County Health & Community Services Department continue to recommend indoor masking for all teachers, students, staff, and visitors to K-12 schools, regardless of vaccination status.

 

The lifting of the public health order does not limit individual school districts from instituting their own mask requirements. The Kalamazoo County Health & Community Services Department urges Kalamazoo County School Districts to follow advice provided by CDC and MDHHS regarding indoor masking in an educational setting for K-12 schools.

 

Indoor masking for all in K-12 schools aims to reduce transmission of COVID-19, prevent student and employee absenteeism due to illness, and promote a healthy, in-person learning environment. A layered protection strategy should be followed to ensure a healthy learning environment, allowing children to remain healthy and physically present in the classroom setting. Such strategy should include the following risk mitigation measures: indoor masking, frequent handwashing, maintaining a distance of three feet minimum between students, enhanced ventilation, staying home when sick and getting tested, contact tracing in combination with isolation and quarantine, testing after a COVID-19 exposure, and vaccination of eligible students, teachers, and staff.

 

A CDC order (not recommendation) remains in effect requiring facemasks to be worn by all people while on public transportation in the United States. This includes school buses for both public and private school systems subject to exclusions and exemptions in CDC’s Order. Read more here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/face-masks-public-transportation.html.

11.03.21 Kalamazoo County COVID19 Update

11.03.21 SPANISH Kalamazoo County COVID19 Update