Health officials are asking residents to mask themselves and take their Covid-19 shots

Public health officials this week pleaded with people to get a shot to protect themselves and others from COVID-19 as the proliferation of new, deadlier variants has spiked again in some cases.

Those requests to get the shot came amid news that Johnson & Johnson’s one-shot vaccine could cause one in a million, but potentially dangerous, blood clots.

Doctors and the health department have given a limited number of Johnson & Johnson vaccines in Navajo and Apache counties. Most states have heeded a federal call to stop the use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, while experts are investigating reports that six women developed blood clots within three weeks of receiving the vaccine. It is unclear whether the blood clots were linked to the vaccine. However, the finding reflects reports of an equally rare problem with blood clots after receiving a similar vaccine from AstraZeneca that is not yet approved in the US

Even if the blood clots in the six women, all under the age of 48, are found to be vaccine-related, the risk of COVID is far greater. One woman died – which is a 1 in 7 million chance of death at the time, even if it was caused by the vaccine. In contrast, COVID has a 1% or 2% death rate in people who test positive for the virus.

The reports have hampered efforts to get enough people vaccinated to contain the spread of new, deadlier variants of the COVID virus.

Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca vaccines use a harmless version of the virus that causes the common cold to release the characteristic spike protein of the COVID virus. Using a similar vaccine design has historically resulted in an immune system response combining blood clots and low platelet counts, which is consistent with the reported problems. However, Pfizer and Moderna’s vaccines use new messenger RNA technology to deliver the spike protein in an oily molecule rather than a whole virus.

There has been no increase in cases in Gila County due to the spread of the new variants.

Over the past two weeks, the average number of new cases has dropped by an encouraging 57% each day, hospital admissions by 15% and the percentage of positive tests to 5%.

About a third of the population is fully vaccinated – and another 20% or 30% have recovered from infection. This gives strong immunity to the majority of the population. However, immunity to infection after recovering from the disease could wear off in three months as antibodies wear off if people are not vaccinated.

Anyone in the county can now make an appointment to have a shot. Even the first shot offers around 80% protection against infections and strengthens the immune system, even for people who have recovered from an infection.

In Gila County, 33% of the total population, 42% of eligible adults, and 58% of those over 65 were vaccinated. People over 65 are responsible for most of the deaths in the pandemic.

The proliferation of several new, deadlier, and more contagious variants has fueled the rise in new cases, hospitalizations, and deaths in states like Michigan. States that have lifted restrictions, eased the use of masks, and noted the spread of the new variants have seen rapid growth in recent weeks – after two months of decline.

So far, cases in Arizona have remained relatively low compared to the highs in December and January. Apache County has the highest per capita incidence in the state. Navajo County is doing better, but it could still see a new surge as the new variants spread.

The federal centers for disease control are currently reporting that different varieties account for about half of all new infections in Arizona. This includes variant B.1.1.7, which forced England to re-lock after a surge in cases where hospitals were overwhelmed.

A unique Californian variant that also spreads faster makes up more than a third of all new cases in Arizona, according to the CDC.

The South African variant, which not only spreads faster and causes more serious illnesses, but can also decrease the vaccine’s protection, accounts for about 1% of new cases in Arizona, according to the CDC.

In the countries with the fastest growing number of cases, the variants account for 70% to 90% of new cases.

Public health officials say the proliferation of the variants and the lifting of most restrictions in states like Arizona make it critical that people continue to wear masks in public until 70% to 90% of the population are vaccinated.

However, the rapid spread of the variants could undo this advance if vaccination efforts stall, if people start mixing again in public places, often without a mask.