Blaine County’s residents are getting vaccinated against COVID-19 at a much lower rate than the statewide average, new data shows, and Oklahoma as a whole lags behind other states in administering the vaccine.
As of May 31, 26.8% of Blaine County residents over age 12 are fully vaccinated, according to reports from the Oklahoma State Department of Health. That’s compared to 34.4% of Oklahomans overall.
The story is the same among Blaine County’s elderly population, with 47.4% of seniors age 65-plus fully vaccinated – more than 14 percentage points less than the senior vaccination rate statewide.
As of Tuesday, Watonga is reported to have four active cases of COVID-19. Blaine County has 22 active cases.
The county health department continues to offer vaccinations in Watonga with no appointment necessary; anyone age 12 and older is eligible for a vaccine, though children under 18 require parental consent. The health department is located at 521 W 4th St.
On June 2, the Oklahoma State Department of Health announced it will begin a statewide texting campaign to reach Oklahomans with information about the vaccine. “The planned messages will be sent to residents in areas across the state that have seen lower vaccination uptake rates,” the department said in a news release.
“We are hopeful to reach Oklahomans with additional information about the vaccine to help them make an informed decision about whether to receive it,” said Deputy Commissioner Keith Reed. “The text messages are not a scam and will never request personal information or money from the recipients. These are intended to provide information regarding available appointments near them and encourage people to learn more about getting the vaccine.”
Residents can expect to receive the text messages in the days following June 9 and June 15; the first round was sent after June 4. Individuals can respond to the messages with questions or request more information.
Since the pandemic reached Oklahoma last spring, the state has seen 453,970 total confirmed cases and counted 8,500 coronavirusrelated deaths, including two Watonga residents.
In Watonga, 413 residents have reportedly recovered from COVID-19.