COVID Related Hospitalization Rates Decreasing In Tulsa County, CDC Says

COVID-19 related hospitalization rates are designated as "low" in Tulsa County and Oklahoma, according to CDC data. Local health officials said staying up to date on the vaccine will keep it that way.

In April in Tulsa County, the seven-day average of COVID hospitalizations stayed under 40 people. That's down from December when the county was seeing more than 60.

Despite fewer people in the hospital, the health department said the risk is still there and doctors hope more people consider the latest vaccine.

An updated COVID-19 vaccine was approved and then administered in October 2023. A second dose was recommended in late February 2024, which the CDC said will provide increased protection to adults ages 65 years and older.

The CDC still suggests those six months or older get the vaccine from last fall too.

The manager of immunizations at the Tulsa Health Department Ellen Niemitalo said staff are currently offering the updated vaccine from last fall and there have been more than 270,000 doses administered since March 2024.

“We still are seeing COVID in the community. We’re seeing individuals that are being hospitalized and we're seeing people who are dying from COVID associated deaths. So, the vaccinations can certainly help reduce those really serious outcomes of COVID,” Niemitalo said.

There are no out of pocket costs to get the vaccine and you can call the health department or go online to schedule a shot.

“We know that COVID is not completely going away. We want to treat it the same as we do other respiratory diseases, like flu and RSV. And take any steps that you can to help reduce the instance, reduce the severity of that disease," Niemitalo said.