Kids, ages 5 to 14, account for nearly 20% new COVID infections in Orange County
LAKE MARY, Fla. - Children between the ages 5 and 14 account for the highest percentage of new COVID-19 infections in Orange County, according to health officials.
"This is a change from the previous picture of what we had seen," said Alvina Chu, with the Florida Department of Health in Orange County, adding that new cases among the children in this age group represent about 20% of all new infections countywide.
Chu, an epidemiologist, noted that new coronavirus cases among those ages 25 to 44 remain high. She said that 80% to 90% of recent cases in the county have been identified as related to the delta variant.
"This reflects what is happening in the United States as well," she added.
The latest coronavirus data was announced during a news conference on Monday.
Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings said 1,278 new cases were reported on Sunday. He added that the 14-day positivity rate still remains around 20%. Total positive cases for Orange County residents were at 196,825 as of Sunday, while total COVID-19 deaths in the county stood at 1,480.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted full approval Monday to Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine for individuals 16 years of age and older., calling it a "milestone" that may help to increase public confidence in the shots as the country faces a resurgence of virus cases and record hospitalizations.
RELATED: Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine gets full FDA approval
The vaccine continues to be available under emergency use authorization for individuals 12 through 15 years of age and for the administration of a third dose in certain immunocompromised individuals.
More than 200 million Pfizer doses already have been administered in the U.S. — and hundreds of millions more worldwide — since emergency use began in December 2020.
Demings said he hopes the full authorization would encourage those hesitant to get vaccinated.
"You should be getting off the fence at this point and getting vaccinated," he added.
Among those ages 12-and-up in Orange County, 66% have received the vaccine, Demings said.
MODERNA COVID-19 VACCINE AVAILABLE
This past weekend, Orange County’s free drive-thru vaccination site at Camping World Stadium began administering the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. Both Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines will now be available at the site — first and second dose only. Third-dose booster shots are not available at Camping World Stadium at this time.
Camping World Stadium
1 Citrus Bowl Place, Orlando, FL 32805
Open daily from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., or until capacity is reached
No appointments are needed, only four (4) persons per vehicle
#IGOTMYSHOT – UPCOMING VACCINATION OPPORTUNITIES
The full schedule for the #IGotMyShot Mobile Vaccination Trailer is now available for Monday, August 22 through Saturday, August 28 at ocfl.net/IGotMyShot.
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