Risk management is an evaluation of how significant a risk there is of an event or incident happening, and then weighing the impact of the harm that could come from that event happening. Right now, COVID and the Delta variant is a high risk especially if you are unvaccinated. The risk of contracting COVID is high and the harm from it, not only to you but also to our communities is high, with many deaths still occurring from this disease. If you are unvaccinated, you are taking a significant risk with your health and the health of those you meet and interact.
Health department reports for our two counties share that over 95% of all new cases are those who are unvaccinated or unable to be vaccinated. Central and south Kitsap County, and central and east Pierce County, are currently very active with higher numbers of COVID cases. The Delta variant not only is 3-4 times more contagious than the original virus, it is sweeping through populations of children and people under the age of 40 at an alarming rate. Thus the reason for the return of the indoor masking mandate for everyone regardless of vaccination status and companies and organizations moving towards mandating vaccinations as a part of their conditions for employment.
Please do your part and consider being vaccinated if you have not done so already.
COVID-19 Vaccines Can Protect You In Several Key Ways:
With the Pfizer vaccine gaining full FDA approval Monday and the other vaccines close behind on their full approvals, being vaccinated is one of the most important things you can personally do to protect yourself and others from transmission of COVID. This is a personal decision that each of us will decide on our own and like other vaccinations, the COVID vaccinations have serious benefits to you and our communities as we continue to work through the pandemic.
- They can significantly reduce your chance of getting seriously ill if you get COVID-19
- Completing the vaccine series reduces your chances of hospitalization and lowers your risk of dying from COVID-19
- They are highly effective at preventing COVID-19
- They add to the number of people in the community who are protected from getting COVID-19, making it harder for the disease to spread
Experts continue to conduct more studies about the vaccine's ability to keep people from spreading the virus to others and maintaining a high level of resistance to the COVID-19 virus. Vaccinations remain free of charge for everyone. All three vaccines provide protection against severe illness or death from COVID-19. That means a vaccines are our best chance of moving past the pandemic.
Each is a little different, but your best choice is the vaccine that is available to you now:
- Pfizer-BioNTech: Requires 2 doses about 3 weeks apart.
- Moderna: Requires 2 doses about 4 weeks apart.
- Johnson & Johnson: Requires 1 dose.
Further Information
- Washington Department of Health vaccination locator, enter a ZIP code: https://vaccinelocator.doh.wa.gov/
- Pierce County vaccine calendar: https://www.tpchd.org/healthy-people/diseases/covid-19-vaccine-event-calendar
- Kitsap County vaccine calendar: https://kitsappublichealth.org/communityHealth/Covid-19/CoronaVirus_Vaccine.php
Keep Being Safe
Right now COVID cases are spiking and this is not good news. We want to keep our COVID-19 case numbers low in Pierce and Kitsap Counties. Vaccinated or not, we need to keep doing the things that will drive those numbers lower and help keep ourselves and loved ones safe and healthy:
- Wear a mask in all public indoor settings.
- Stay 6 feet from others.
- Stay home if you are sick or not feeling well, even with just mild symptoms.
- If you have been exposed and taken a COVID test, stay home and wait until your results come back and let your supervisor know.
- Keep gatherings small.
- Wash your hands often.
There is no mistaking the challenges at this time. We have worked hard to get to the point of keeping cases low but are now seeing the effects of what a COVID variant can do especially to the unvaccinated population. The Y is indebted to our staff, who have served diligently and tried to do the right thing. We do not yet know with certainty when this Delta variant and COVID risk will be behind us but we all should do our part in working together for our greater good and a return to more normal lives.