OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — Area health officials are teaming up with Omaha public schools hoping to protect more people.
For the next eight days, they will be offering pop-up vaccine clinics for students and staff at area schools.
Phil Rooney with Douglas County Health Department said the pop-up vaccines at area schools have been successful, adding the number of those wanting vaccination has picked up.
This comes as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports a 44% increase in daily new cases in the last week of July.
The CDC's director, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, said last week's average of daily new COVID-19 cases is "higher than our peak last summer."
Rooney said this increase in cases is mainly due to the more contagious delta variant.
"Something people need to remember is when you hear a change in a recommendation it's because we've gained more knowledge. A virus is an organism and each succeeding generation is going to change just like it does with any other organism out there. It's going to be different. It's trying to survive. This one seems to spread rather easily, far too easily, and there is still too many people out there that need to be vaccinated," said Rooney.
He added that students who are eligible for the vaccine can not only keep themselves safe but will also keep the virus from continuing to mutate.
That's a big concern as the delta variant infects more people.
There will be three other pop-up vaccine clinics today. One at North High School will be from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.
There will be one from noon to 3 p.m. at Central High School and from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Bryan High School.
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