While Omicron cases are slowly decreasing in the Dallas County area, local health officials are pushing for vaccination

Dallas, Texas – The Omicron peak seems to be behind us as the number of new Omicron cases in the Dallas County area is slowly decreasing.

According to the most recent data provided by Dallas County HHS, there have been around 1,800 new cases per day two weeks ago. That number dropped to around 1,100 cases daily during the last week which is another proof that Omicron spread is slowly going down.

Although the situation with the pandemic is improving lately in the area, local health officials are doing everything in their power to improve vaccination rates.

The clinic at Dallas College – Eastfield campus in Mesquite is one of two locations Dallas County Health and Human Services operated on Sunday in a continued effort to increase the rate of vaccination.

According to doctor Marcial Oquendo who is a Dallas-based pediatrician, taking into consideration the number of cases since the start of the pandemic and the vaccination rate so far, the North Texas area may be close to viewing COVID-19 through an endemic lens, with more predictable rates and spread of disease.

“After big spikes, there is the period of calm,” Oquendo said. “There’s lots of reason for optimism.”

Omicron easily evades both natural and vaccine immunity when it comes to infections, but those who have some kind of immunity will most likely end up with no or mild symptoms.

Even with the generally less severe omicron variant, data the CDC examined from Los Angeles County from early November to early January found an unvaccinated individual was 23-times more likely to end up hospitalized compared to someone fully vaccinated and boosted.

Right now, Dallas County data does not include those boosted, but 64% of people aged 18 and over have received two doses.

Dr. Oquendo believes there will be high demand for the Covid-19 vaccines even after the current, Omicron wave.

“The more options that we have the better – when or how to receive this vaccine,” Oquendo added.