COVID-19 Updates: St. Croix County Contact Tracing and Pierce County Vaccines | Community

St. Croix County reported 597 positive cases of COVID-19 in the first seven days of November 2021. The county is averaging more than 85 cases per day, a level we haven’t reached since the year last. Due to the high volume of positive COVID-19 cases, St. Croix County Public Health may not be able to personally contact all individuals who test positive for COVID-19 by telephone within 48 hours. St. Croix County Public Health will send automated text, phone and email alerts to residents who test positive and have not been contacted by Public Health. These automated alerts will have a link to more information on what to do after testing positive for COVID-19.

Automated email alerts will only be sent from covid19@sccwi.gov. Automated text or phone alerts will only be sent from 715-246-8224

A member of our public health department may contact you using a different phone number than the one listed above. To avoid potential scams, please do not respond to or click on links in messages that ask for payment or financial information. Contact tracers and public health messages will NOT ask you for money or payment, social security or bank account information. If you are unsure of the legitimacy of a message, please contact Public Health at the phone number or email listed above. You can find more information about what to do after testing positive on the St. Croix County website.

Late last week, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) announced its support for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendation that children ages 5 to 11 receive the pediatric version at 2 doses of the Pfizer vaccine (1/3 of the dose of the adult vaccine).

Pierce County Public Health (PCPH) and local pediatricians support this recommendation.

Dr. Amber Morgan, a pediatrician based in River Falls, says there are many very good reasons why parents should get their children vaccinated against COVID-19.

“COVID-19 is among the top 10 causes of death for children in this age group. Now we have the option to remove COVID-19 from this list. The Pfizer vaccine is safe and highly effective in preventing symptomatic COVID-19 in children,” Morgan said. “I recommend the Pfizer vaccine to my patients, and that’s what I do for my own children.”

Approximately 8,300 children in this age group have been hospitalized with COVID-19 nationwide. About a third of children in this age group who were hospitalized with COVID-19 had no underlying health conditions.

The vaccine is recommended for children who have had a previous COVID-19 infection because natural immunity is highly variable and the risk of reinfection after natural infection is two to five times higher than the risk of reinfection with vaccines .

To help answer other questions that many parents have, PCPH has put together an FAQ document with some of the most common concerns parents have.

There are several options available locally to get your child vaccinated against COVID-19:

• Contact your pediatrician, family doctor, or pharmacist about the Pfizer Pediatric Vaccine.

• Freeman Drug in River Falls will offer the Pfizer pediatric vaccine this month.

• Pierce County will offer the Pfizer Pediatric Nov. 23 in Ellsworth. Appointments will be available beginning Friday, Nov. 12 on the Pierce County website and by phone at 715-273-6755.

• Other vaccination sites are listed at vaccinate.wi.gov/en-US.