Hutchinson encourages flu vaccinations, touts computer science initiative

From left, Ebony Crutchfield, RN, gives Dr. Jose Romero, Secretary of the Department of Health, his flu vaccine as Neldia Dycus, RN, Regional Director at the Arkansas Department of Health, gives Governor Hutchinson his vaccine before the start of the Governor's weekly address on Arkansas' response to COVID-19 on Tuesday, Oct. 26. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Stephen Swofford)
From left, Ebony Crutchfield, RN, gives Dr. Jose Romero, Secretary of the Department of Health, his flu vaccine as Neldia Dycus, RN, Regional Director at the Arkansas Department of Health, gives Governor Hutchinson his vaccine before the start of the Governor's weekly address on Arkansas' response to COVID-19 on Tuesday, Oct. 26. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Stephen Swofford)

Gov. Asa Hutchinson provided an update on COVID-19 cases in the state Tuesday, and also took the opportunity to get his flu shot with Arkansas Department of Health Secretary Dr. Jose Romero.

"The purpose of Dr. Romero and I getting our flu shot publicly is just to encourage everyone and remind everyone the importance -- that flu season is here, it's important to get the flu shot," Hutchinson said. "We can't neglect the importance of the flu shot."

The governor noted that last year, 23 Arkansans died as a result from the flu, down significantly from 228 deaths recorded in the 2017/2018 flu season.

According to the ADH, this is the first week of the 2021/2022 flu season. So far, flu activity in the state in minimal, with only one case having been reported in one child since Oct. 3.

Romero warned of a potential "twindemic" if flu and COVID cases spike simultaneously, which he said could strain the state's health care resources.

"We really want people to get their flu vaccine this year along with the COVID vaccine. We don't want to have twindemics -- spikes with both COVID and with the flu. We have the potential to have that happen this year, as we've done away with social distancing and masking," he said.

Flu vaccines are free at the Union County Local Health Unit at 301 American Rd. The Health Unit is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays and from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesdays.

"We want Union County residents to stay healthy this flu season, and getting a yearly flu vaccination is the best line of defense," Union County Health Unit Administrator Tammy McCall said in September.

Children as young as six months old are eligible for the flu vaccine, Romero noted on Tuesday.

"Children, infants, adolescents and adults -- they should receive the vaccine. They should receive it now, before flu season actually starts," he said. "We don't want to put an extra stress on our health care system on top of COVID."

COVID-19

COVID-19 cases in Arkansas have continued to decline, including, since this weekend, in Union County. About 100 fewer cases were reported Tuesday in Arkansas than were last Tuesday, the last time Hutchinson gave his weekly virus update.

The number of vaccine doses administered in Arkansas was higher Tuesday than it has been since Oct. 2. Hutchinson said about 60% of the doses administered were booster shots.

"We have, also, a small increase in our first doses, so I'm pleased that that is up a little bit," he said. "We really need to accelerate that as we look toward the winter months coming."

Hutchinson said that he expects 5 to 11 year olds to become vaccine eligible at the beginning of November.

"We're prepared for it. We're ready to go," he said.

Romero said he expects some parents may be hesitant about getting their children in that age group vaccinated when they first become eligible; however, over time, he said, he thinks the COVID vaccination rate among that age group to match the vaccination rate for adolescents in Arkansas generally.

"There will probably be some trepidation in accepting the vaccine right off the bat," he said. "We need to go forward, make parents understand that this is a very safe vaccine and is essential for the wellbeing of the children."

Hutchinson said that the ADH will track the number of children in that age group getting the vaccine, similar to how the department tracked the number of children 12 to 17 who got the vaccine when it became available to them; he said he hopes the data will help the ADH combat vaccine hesitancy for the age group.

"I expect some hesitancy from parents. I think that when you see it approved for 5 to 11 year olds you'll see an immediate increase in vaccines given out for that age group ... I think you'll see others that will wait on that," he said.

According to a report on COVID cases in schools produced by the ADH on Monday, Oct. 25, the El Dorado School District is the only one in Union County with more than five active cases among students and staff. As of Monday, 119 cases had been identified in the ESD, including 88 in students and 20 in staff. There were 11 active cases in the district on Monday.

Other updates

The bulk of the governor's press conference was dedicated to an update on computer science class enrollments.

Expanding computer science education has been a major policy platform of Hutchinson's, and on Tuesday, he announced that enrollments in computer science courses had increased 20% over last year's, with 12,547 Arkansas students currently taking at least one computer science class.

The increase in enrollments is the largest since the Arkansas Computer Science Initiative first began in 2014. Back then, fewer than 500 students were taking computer science classes, according to reporting by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

Starting next year, every high school student will be required to take at least one computer science class in order to graduate, per a new state law. Arkansas made history six years ago when it became the first state in the country to require all public and charter high schools to offer computer science classes.

"The message is that Arkansas continues to lead in the nation in terms of our computer science education program, and it's demonstrated by the investment we've made," Hutchinson said. "We see that it's important. And one of the outcomes is that we're seeing a growth of technology companies in Arkansas because of our investment in computer science education."

"It's for the students, but it's also for our competitive level, in terms of our economy," he added.

Hutchinson said about 70% of the students taking computer science classes this year are male, and 30% are female, a gap he said he hopes to address. The racial makeup of students in computer science classes is about on par with the state's demographics, he said.

"Not only are we seeing the growth in those first-time enrollments in computer science courses; we're also seeing numbers of students increase who are taking multiple computer science courses. We're also seeing the expansion of career pathways," said Dr. Ivy Pfeffer, deputy commissioner of the Arkansas Department of Education's Division of Elementary and Secondary Education. "The computer science initiative is on a very sustainable track. We saw growth at every grade level in students taking computer science courses."

Hutchinson was also asked on Tuesday about when a special session on tax cuts might be called. According to the Democrat-Gazette, Hutchinson was in talks last week to try to form a consensus with lawmakers on a tax cut package before he calls the General Assembly into special session.

He said Tuesday that there's no time table for when the special session might be called.

According to the Democrat-Gazette, a draft tax cut Hutchinson wrote includes provisions for consolidating the state's low- and middle-income tax tables; cutting the top individual income tax rate from 5.9% to 5.5% on Jan. 1 and then to 5.3% on Jan. 1, 2023; making adjustments to smooth the tax cliff between tax tables; and increasing the $29 individual tax credit to $60 for each filer with taxable income below $22,900 a year.

COVID vaccines

COVID-19 vaccines are widely available in Union County and throughout the state.

According to the ADH, vaccines are available locally at Melvin's Discount Pharmacy, SAMA, Walmart, Walgreens, both Brookshire's branches in El Dorado and the Union County Local Health Unit. To set a vaccination appointment at Melvin's, call 870-863-4155; for SAMA, call 870-862-2400; for Walmart, visit walmart.com/COVID; for Walgreens, visit walgreens.com/findcare/vaccination/covid/19/landing; for Brookshire's, visit brookshires.com/covid-19-information; and for the Local Health Unit, call 1-800-985-6030.

More information about COVID-19 vaccines is available at healthy.arkansas.gov/programs-services/topics/covid-19.

Three COVID-19 vaccines developed by pharmaceutical companies Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson have been approved for use in the United States. The Pfizer vaccine has received full approval from the FDA for use in people 16 and older, and has emergency use authorization for use in people as young as 12 years old, while the latter two vaccines are approved for use in anyone over the age of 18.

COVID testing is also available in Union County at SAMA, at 600 S. Timberlane in El Dorado; Medical Center of South Arkansas, at 700 W. Grove in El Dorado; Walgreens at 701 W. Grove and 2135 N. West Ave in El Dorado; the Union County Local Health Unit, at 301 American Rd. in El Dorado; and the Strong Clinic, at 253 S. Concord in Strong.

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