LA County begins offering COVID-19 vaccine booster shot

LOS ANGELES — Booster shots of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccination officially became disposable Friday successful Los Angeles County for prime residents, with national wellness officials giving last support to the further vaccine dose to bolster microorganism extortion for higher-risk groups.

“Starting contiguous (Friday), eligible Los Angeles County residents tin statesman receiving their booster dose astatine immoderate of the hundreds of sites offering the Pfizer vaccine,” region Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said successful a statement. “The booster dose offers enhanced extortion for those afloat vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine six months agone who are astatine accrued hazard of getting COVID-19 and/or experiencing terrible unwellness from COVID. The L.A. County vaccination web is prepared to connection boosters contiguous portion continuing to prioritize getting archetypal doses to those eligible and not yet vaccinated.”

An advisory sheet for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention connected Thursday recommended Pfizer booster shots for radical 65 and older, those successful semipermanent attraction facilities and radical 50 to 64 with underlying wellness conditions, arsenic good arsenic prime radical aged 18 to 49 with superior wellness issues.

CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky connected Friday endorsed the recommendation, and expanded it to see radical astatine accrued hazard of corruption owed to their occupation.

Booster shots are lone disposable for radical who received their 2nd dose of the Pfizer vaccine astatine slightest six months ago. Boosters person not yet been approved for radical who received the Moderna oregon Johnson & Johnson vaccines.

Appointments for booster shots tin beryllium made done the state’s MyTurn website. Appointments tin besides beryllium made straight astatine pharmacies oregon clinics that connection Pfizer vaccines.

Ferrer said Thursday that somewhat much than 1 cardinal radical successful the region had received 2 doses of the Pfizer vaccine anterior to April 1, with astir 420,000 of them being aged 65 and older.

“Many others were wellness attraction workers and radical with terrible hazard of terrible unwellness from COVID,” she said.

She noted again that the region has 1,300 fixed vaccination sites, on with 400 mobile clinics, meaning there’s a section capableness to administer 130,000 shots per day, truthful the region is well-positioned to grip request for booster shots.

The region has already doled retired much than 80,000 3rd doses of Pfizer and Moderna vaccine nether earlier national guidance that allowed specified shots for radical who are considered moderately to severely immunocompromised by superior wellness conditions specified arsenic crab oregon different maladies that spot them astatine precocious hazard of unwellness oregon decease from COVID.

While touting the county’s preparedness for administering booster shots, Ferrer connected Thursday continued to lament the dramatically slowed gait of first-dose vaccinations. She noted the region has made important advancement since the spring, but added, “There are areas wherever our rates are inactive good beneath wherever they request to be, peculiarly successful the bluish portion of the county.”

As of this week, 77% of eligible region residents aged 12 and implicit person received astatine slightest 1 dose, and 68% are afloat vaccinated. Of the county’s wide 10.3 cardinal population, including those inactive ineligible for shots, 66% person received astatine slightest 1 dose, and 59% are afloat vaccinated.

The county’s complaint of caller infections has continued falling, with the highest complaint present among unvaccinated younker betwixt 12 and 17 years old. Ferrer noted that vaccinated residents successful the aforesaid property radical person the county’s lowest complaint of caller infections. Cases among the unvaccinated younker peaked successful mid-August, astir the clip schools reopened their campuses, galore with mandatory investigating programs that accrued corruption numbers.

Ferrer credited continuing wellness measures, specified arsenic mask-wearing requirements and mandatory vaccination oregon investigating requirements for ample events, with keeping caller lawsuit numbers debased successful the county. She presented numbers showing the county’s corruption and decease rates astatine conscionable a fraction of those successful Texas and Florida, states that person shunned specified infection-control measures.

“In places wherever sensible steps person not been taken to trim the dispersed of the virus, the Delta strain continues to ruin futures and instrumentality lives astatine a accelerated pace,” Ferrer said.

Los Angeles County reported different 32 COVID-19 deaths connected Thursday, giving the region an wide decease toll of 25,942. Another 1,900 cases were reported, raising the full fig from passim the pandemic to 1,449,923.

According to authorities figures, determination were 956 991 COVID-positive patients successful Los Angeles County hospitals arsenic of Friday, down from 991 connected Thursday. There were 310 patients successful intensive care, down from 314 a time ago.

The fig of COVID-positive infirmary patients successful Los Angeles County has fallen 23 times successful the past 25 days, bringing the fig down from a summertime highest of astir 1,800.

The rolling mean regular complaint of radical investigating affirmative for the microorganism successful the region was 1.52% arsenic of Thursday, down somewhat from 1.7% connected Wednesday.