Health officials reminding residents of value of vaccines as Callaway County under hotspot advisory

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Callaway County is the latest addition to the growing list of counties under hotspot advisories in Mid-Missouri. Health officials are reminding residents of the value of vaccines as cases increase in the county.

Currently 33.5% of residents in Callaway County are fully vaccinated, but experts say at least 70% to 80% of people, depending on the type of variant, need to be vaccinated to provide the best chance of minimizing spread within a community.

The state health department said the county has 221 current active cases, which is a 30% increase in the last week. However, as of last Friday county health officials reported 412 active cases.

Health officials said as the virus continues to spread across the county, hospitals are seeing a strain on resources and an increase in patients. An average of 191 people have been hospitalized in the region over the last week. As a result, several hospitals in the region are at or near capacity.

If residents are looking for the shot, a vaccine clinic is scheduled for Friday at Crane's Museum and Marlene's restaurant from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

It will have the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which is available for anyone 18 years-old and older, and will offer full vaccination status after 2 weeks.