The Hopkins County Health Department said Tuesday that the SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.7 variant of COVID-19, also known as the "UK variant", had been detected in a patient in the county.
HCHD says in order to prevent the variants from replicating, changing, and becoming resistant to vaccinations, herd immunity within the community must be established.
Herd immunity occurs when a large part of the population of an area gains immunity to a contagious virus, leaving the virus fewer places to go - and HCHD says that as of now, the vaccines currently available are creating immunity to the variants.
That's why the health department is urging everyone to receive their COVID-19 vaccine. Kentucky is currently offering the COVID-19 vaccine to anyone who's at least 16-years-old - but individuals under the age of 18 are only eligible to receive the Pfizer vaccine currently.
For a full list of COVID-19 vaccination sites throughout Kentucky, click here.
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