Unvaccinated youth is Iowa’s first case of omicron variant

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa health officials have confirmed the first case of the omicron coronavirus variant in the state. The Iowa Department of Public Health said Thursday that the case was detected in a sample at the Iowa Hygienic Lab and came from an unvaccinated individual under the age of 18 who lives in Black Hawk County in eastern Iowa. The individual has no symptoms but because of travel exposure the family sought testing based on public health guidance. More than a third of Iowans remain unvaccinated and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says 57.5% of the population is fully vaccinated, placing the state 24th in the nation.