About 54 percent of Hamilton County residents are fully vaccinated for COVID-19, according to public health officials. That number continues to slowly tick upwards even as positive cases continue to rise.

“We’re still seeing a lot of community spread throughout the county. From Sept. 1 through 14, we’ve had 88 known positive cases,” Shelby Kroona, Hamilton County Public Health Administrator said.

Many of those cases are school age children, she said. According to data from coronavirus.iowa.gov, 31 percent of the positive tests over the past 7 days have been in those 17 and younger, while 20 percent have been from the 40 to 49 age group. Fifty-four percent of the positive tests over the past 7 days in Hamilton County are female, while 44 percent are male.

The current positivity rate for Hamilton County is at 12 percent, according to the website.

“We continue to reach out to families to try to educate them on best practices — staying home when they are ill, washing their hands, wearing masks. But we are having less and less success connecting with people who have tested positive,” she said.

Kroona said the FDA will be meeting this week to discuss the use of booster shots.

“I’m hearing that Pfizer is really looking at what has happened in Israel and seeing that the third dose has been very effective. They’re using that as their research,” she said.

Kroona said her department is offering a third dose to those who are immunocompromised but are not authorized to give booster doses to the general public, pending FDA approval.

“For the immunocompromised, we’d like them to have a conversation with their doctor first. Then they can call and make an appointment with us after they have visited with their physician about whether the patient needs that third dose,” she said.

On Monday, a federal judge ordered the state of Iowa to immediately halt enforcement of a law that prevents school boards from ordering masks to be worn to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. School districts across the state are now considering whether students and staff will return to mandatory masking.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continue to encourage masking for people — including children older than age 2 — in indoor public places if they are not fully vaccinated or are fully vaccinated but in an area with substantial or high transmission, or those fully vaccinated with weakened immune systems. Masking in crowded outdoor settings or with activities in close contact with others who are not fully vaccinated is also recommended by the CDC.

Kroona said she believes the CDC guidance on masks is correct.

“I find myself siding with the CDC on the mask guidance. Anyone who is unvaccinated, whether children or adults, should be wearing masks,” she said. “Anyone who cannot or has not received the vaccine, should be wearing a mask.”