Important Information on COVID-19

Where to Find COVID Vaccine in Southwest Nebraska (in Spanish)

Updated Boosters Now Available for ages 6 months and older (Moderna and Pfizer)

Novavax Now Available for ages 12+

COVID-19 home test kits are available at pharmacies and other locations across the health district.

Beginning September 25, 2023, every US household can again place an order to receive four more FREE COVID-19 rapid tests delivered directly to their home. Visit:

www.covid.gov/test

Before you throw out "Expired" Tests: Check FDA's website to see if your COVID-19 tests' expiration dates have been extended.

If you test positive with an at-home COVID test, follow the isolation and quarantine instructions below.

You do not need to notify the health department.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will no longer be reporting its color-coded Covid-19 Community Levels after the public health emergency expires on May 11, 2023. The CDC will continue to keep tabs on Covid-19 largely by tracking hospitalizations in some areas, much like they do with other respiratory infections like the flu. The switch may mean that the nation is losing its capacity for the earliest warning sights of uptick in spread.

However, wastewater testing in communities and for air travelers will continue and is expected to close some of the early warning gaps.

Review of COVID-19 Trends and Data:

UNMC Weekly Update on COVID-19 in Nebraska and the U.S.

LATEST GUIDANCE:

For the most up to date guidance please visit:

CDC Updated Guidelines

Isolation and Exposure Calculator

How long to stay home if you are sick or exposed to COVID-19

DIY Contact Tracing Instructions

General Info & Maps COVID Vaccines Illness & Testing Healthcare Schools Resources

Information on COVID-19 Vaccine

COVID-19 vaccination is available to anyone 6 months of age and older in Nebraska.

Where to Find COVID Vaccine in Southwest Nebraska (in Spanish)

List includes contact information and which vaccines they offer at that location.

UPDATES:

Updated booster shots are available now (Moderna and Pfizer 6 months of age and older)

Novavax is now available at McCook and Ogallala offices for ages 12 and older.

Long Term Care Residents Should Get the COVID-19 Updated Booster

Updated boosters are now recommended for everyone 5 and older.

An updated booster dose is recommended for everyone who as gotten one or more of the original boosters.

COVID Vaccine for ages 6 months to 11 years:

Wednesdays in the McCook office

Thursdays in the Ogallala office

SWNPHD has all primary series, pediatric, and booster doses available at their offices and at off-site clinics.

Call 308-345-4223 if you would like to host a shot clinic at your location.

*COVID-19 vaccines are now included in the list of routinely recommended immunizations for children and adolescents from the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). The update has no effect on any vaccination requirements at the federal, state, or local level. The CDC does not have the authority to set any vaccination requirements, only to make recommendations. The agency maintains a schedule of recommended immunizations for infants, children, and adults. Each state sets its own vaccine requirements and schedules, which is why the vaccinations required to enroll in public schools vary from state to state.
Southwest Nebraska Public Health Department encourages parents to consider adding these safe and effective vaccines to their kids’ shots to protect against severe illness from COVID-19, which can happen to people of any age.

Studies show the updated booster is effective in preventing severe COVID-19.

COVID-19 Vaccine Consent for Minors for parents and guardians not able to be present with their child age 12 to 18.

FACT SHEETS

Pfizer Bivalent COVID-19 Booster Vaccine Fact Sheet for ages 12+

Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine Fact Sheet for ages 12+

Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine Fact Sheet for ages 5 to 11

Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine Fact Sheet for ages 6 months to 4 years