GRAND HAVEN, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — The Ottawa County Department of Public Health announced Saturday, June 26, that health officials had identified the first case of the COVID-19 Delta variant in the county. The case was identified in a vaccinated Ottawa County resident in their 50s, making it the first of it’s kind in West Michigan.
Ottawa County officials said even though the case was found in a vaccinated adult, they still advise getting vaccinated.
“This variant has caused a serious and deadly surge in India, where it was first identified,” said Marcia Mansaray, Ottawa County deputy health officer. “The SARS-CoV-2 virus behaves in unexpected ways so it is hard to predict what the impact of this variant will be here, but each opportunity for spread is another opportunity for the virus to mutate. We are still in a race between variants and vaccines. Unvaccinated people will be the most vulnerable.”
Officials said data showed the Pfizer and Moderna shots were effective in fighting the variant, and that the CDC was examining the Johnson & Johnson vaccine’s effectiveness. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention classified the Delta variant as a “variant of concern.” Variants of concern were believed to be more contagious or cause more serious illness.
“COVID-19 vaccines are the best protection we have against the virus and its variants,” said Toni Bulthuis, Ottawa County immunization supervisor. “We don’t know yet if children will be more impacted by the Delta variant. While no vaccine can be 100% effective all the time for everyone, the vaccines in the U.S. have consistently demonstrated high levels of protection against severe outcomes such as hospitalization and death.”
