ST. LOUIS — The St. Louis Pandemic Task Force shared some noteworthy vaccination news in a briefing Tuesday.
According to the task force, half of the St. Louis area is now fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
"St. Louis has finally broken the 50% barrier in terms of citizens who have gotten a full vaccine series. We're edging up, I think it's slowly getting closer to 60% who have had at least one vaccination," Dr. Clay Dunagan from the task force said Tuesday. "That's a little bit higher than Missouri but well behind what's happening nationally."
According to numbers released from the task force, Missouri as a state is still just under 50% in terms of full vaccination. Nationally, nearly 60% of the population is fully vaccinated.
The task force reiterated the importance of vaccination in combating COVID-19 on Tuesday.
"This is a very important factor. The more people we can get vaccinated, the lower likelihood we have of future surges, and for what surges that do happen the lower peaks we would expect," Dunagan said.
As far as the St. Louis area goes, Monroe County, Illinois is the "most fully vaccinated" county in the region with 54.1% completing a full series. Calhoun County, Illinois is the "least vaccinated" county in the region with just 37.4% fully vaccinated.
The task force also released new data for admissions and deaths among task force hospitals:
- New hospital admissions (data lagged two days) increased – from 19 yesterday to 41 today.
- The seven-day moving average of hospital admissions (data lagged two days) increased – from 35 yesterday to 36 today.
- The seven-day moving average of hospitalizations decreased – from 258 yesterday to 256 today.
- Inpatient confirmed COVID positive hospitalizations increased – from 247 yesterday to 259 today.
- Inpatient suspected COVID positive hospitalizations decreased - from 35 yesterday to 34 today.
- The number of confirmed COVID positive patients in the ICUs decreased - from 83 yesterday to 78 today.
- The number of confirmed COVID positive patients on ventilators increased - from 49 yesterday to 51 today.
- 5 COVID deaths are being reported today.
- The seven-day moving average of COVID deaths remained the same at 6 today.
- Across the system hospitals, 27 patients were discharged yesterday bringing the cumulative number of COVID-19 patients discharged to 29,486.
- Of the 239 hospitalized COVID patients in the three reporting Task Force hospitals today – 57 are fully vaccinated. That’s 24% of the patient population.
- There are 2 COVID positive children who are 0-11 years of age in Task Force hospitals.
- There are 3 COVID positive children who are 12-18 years of age in Task Force hospitals.
- There are 1 COVID positive children who are 0-11 years of age and in the ICU.
- There are 1 COVID positive children who are 12-18 years of age and in the ICU.