Press Releases

The Oneida County Health Department announced today that a cat has tested positive for rabies in Town of Forestport. The cat was sent to the New York State Department of Health Wadsworth Center for testing and positive results were reported on October 5, 2022. Two people were directly exposed to the cat and received post exposure prophylaxis.

The Oneida County Health Department announced today that a county resident has tested positive for monkeypox. Lab results were received on September 23, 2022 and the patient is in isolation. Contact tracing has been conducted and all exposed contacts have been notified of the exposure. No additional information will be provided about this individual to protect privacy.

The Oneida County Health Department kicked of National Child Passenger Safety Week with the announcement that it is expanding its Car Seat Program. “Oneida County has been hosting free car seat giveaways and safety education events for a number of years at the Deerfield Fire House,” said Oneida County Executive Anthony J. Picente Jr.

Following recent authorization by The Food and Drug Administration, the Oneida County Health Department is offering the Bivalent COVID boosters at both Rome and Utica clinics.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the New York State Department of Health have updated recommendations for individuals exposed to COVID-19 who are unvaccinated and to procedures that should be followed in the upcoming school year.

Novavax is a two-dose primary vaccine. It is not yet available as a booster dose. Doses are administered three to eight weeks apart and are available to ages 18 and older. This vaccine is not MRNA technology, but instead a protein subunit vaccine. Protein subunit vaccine technology is not new and has been studied for decades.