The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have now authorized booster doses of the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines for all adults age 18 and over. Prior to this announcement, eligibility had been limited to individuals age 65 and older and those who lived or worked in high-risk environments. Those who have received a single shot of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine are eligible for a booster dose two months after their initial vaccination. The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) reports that as of Monday, 74 percent of Iowans age 18 and older and 71 percent age 12 and over have received at least one dose of the vaccine. With the recent authorization of pediatric Pfizer vaccines, over 31,000 Iowans in the five to 11 age range have received their first virus inoculation. While fewer children have been sick with COVID compared to adults, the department says children can be infected and there is no way to predict whether they will have a severe or mild case of the virus. Some children, 63 cases in Iowa, have developed a rare and serious disease linked to COVID, multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C). More information on that disease can be found through the link included below. Vaccines are available through Carroll County Public Health, at Manning Regional Healthcare Center, the St. Anthony and McFarland Clinics and at pharmacies throughout the region. Anyone with questions or concerns is asked to talk with their healthcare provider.

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Information from CADC on MIS-C: https://www.cdc.gov/mis/about.html