57% of Oklahomans are vaccinated: COVID-19 update

More than 110,000 Oklahomans have taken a booster dose of the coronavirus vaccine.

Just weeks after health officials announced that some fully vaccinated Oklahomans could get an additional dose, 115,611 Oklahomans have gotten the extra shot, which health officials say will help protect older adults and people who have underlying health conditions.

The health department reported that data Oct. 12 as coronavirus numbers continue their downward trend across the state. No new coronavirus-related deaths have been reported in Kay County in the last week.

The Oklahoma State Department of Health reported Oct. 9 that 8,643 new cases were reported that week, a drop of more than 7% from the week prior.

Oklahoma’s active coronavirus case counts have been dropping since September. On Sept. 27, officials reported that the state’s coronavirus case numbers were down by 41% from the Aug. 30 peak. Hospitalizations were also down.

Health officials continue to encourage vaccination to curb the virus’s spread.

State officials report that 51.8% of all Kay County residents over the age of 12 have had at least one dose of the vaccine, and 43.8% are fully vaccinated, according to data released Oct. 13.

About 80% of all Kay County residents 65 years old and older are fully vaccinated. Vaccines aren’t yet approved for people under the age of 12 except in rare circumstances.

More than 1.9 million Oklahomans, about 57% of the state’s eligible population, have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. More than 2.2 million Oklahomans have received at least one dose.

The state health department reported Oct. 13 that the state has had 627,699 cases of the virus since the pandemic began, 11,905 of which are active. Statewide, 9,402 people have died from the virus. More than 35,000 Oklahomans have been hospitalized since the pandemic began.

Kay County has had 7,044 cases of the virus, 170 of which are active. Officials said 6,726 Kay County residents have recovered from the virus, and 148 have died from it.

Blackwell has had 918 cases, with 866 recoveries and 32 deaths. Braman has had 42 cases, with 39 recoveries and one death. Kaw City has had 99 cases, with 91 recoveries and three deaths.

Newkirk has had 583 cases, with 564 recoveries and eight deaths. Ponca City has had 5,102 cases, with 4,885 recoveries and 98 deaths. Tonkawa has had 505 cases, with 471 recoveries and 16 deaths.

The state health department does not provide data on coronavirus cases in some of the state’s smallest towns, including Nardin in Kay County.

As of press time, Stillwater Medical Center – Blackwell had not reported its bed capacity numbers since Oct. 8.

Vaccinations are available for free at some pharmacies and stores across the county, among other locations.

For more information on vaccinations, or to schedule a vaccine appointment, visit https://oklahoma.gov/covid19/vaccine-information/vaccine-faqs.html.

The United States has had more than 44 million cases and 724,000 deaths.