Dr. Schueler: Vaccine Still Effective on COVID Variants

Johnson County Public Health Officer Dr. Mark Schueler discussed concerns over mutations in the COVID virus found in the United Kingdom and in South Africa during this week’s COVID-19 Emergency Operations Center briefing, but wanted to assure people that the current vaccine is still effective on the new strains.

Dr. Schueler said the concern over the new strains is “splitting hairs,” as there isn’t a lot of data as yet, and overall the trend is very favorable.

He said he believes we will eventually get back to “normal.”

Schueler said statewide health orders have been revised, and although the changes aren’t large and were not seeing drastic changes yet, he expects more to come and a favorable trend to continue.

He added it is refreshing to him to note that its been over a month since there has been a COVID case in the hospital and encouraging to know that a lot of the county’s high-risk people are now protected by vaccine.