LA County officials urge COVID-19 boosters, await approval of shots for kids

Los Angeles County wellness officials again urged eligible residents connected Tuesday, Oct. 26, to get COVID-19 vaccine booster shots, portion they besides prepared for anticipated national support of vaccinations for children aged 5 to 11.

A U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory sheet connected Tuesday recommended support of an exigency usage authorization for Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for children arsenic young arsenic 5. FDA officials inactive request to o.k. the recommendation, on with a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory committee and the CDC director.

Pfizer’s vaccine is presently authorized nether exigency usage for children aged 12-15, and it has afloat authorization for radical aged 16 and older.

“After reviewing information and efficacy data, the FDA’s vaccine advisory sheet met contiguous and recommended Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for children 5 to 11, bringing america person to expanding vaccine entree to 900,000 L.A. County children,” region Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said successful a statement. “Fully vaccinated children volition beryllium amended protected astatine schools, younker activities, vacation gatherings and celebrations, and homes. Once the CDC issues last support and guidance, the region is prepared to statesman offering doses to younger children arsenic aboriginal arsenic precocious adjacent week done our immense web of countywide providers.”

County wellness officials besides continued to advocator for booster shots, 30,000 of which were administered successful the region betwixt Friday and Sunday. As of Sunday, a full of 425,000 booster doses of vaccine person been administered successful the county.

The region estimates that 3.6 cardinal residents are eligible for the boosters. Under national guidelines, boosters are disposable for radical who are:

— 65 years of property oregon older;

— Aged 18 and older and surviving successful semipermanent attraction settings;

— Aged 18 and older with underlying aesculapian conditions; and

— Aged 18 and older and surviving oregon moving successful high-risk settings.

Under national guidelines, radical tin person a antithetic marque of booster changeable than their archetypal doses.

People who received the two-dose Pfizer oregon Moderna shots should not person a booster until astatine slightest six months aft their past dose. For the single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine, radical indispensable hold astatine slightest 2 months aft their shot.

According to numbers released Thursday, 79% of eligible region residents aged 12 and older person received astatine slightest 1 dose of vaccine, and 71% are afloat vaccinated.

The region connected Tuesday reported 20 caller COVID-19 deaths, raising the wide decease toll to 26,572. Another 827 cases were besides reported, raising the cumulative full from passim the pandemic to 1,486,614.

The rolling mean regular complaint of radical investigating affirmative for the microorganism was 0.9% arsenic of Tuesday.

According to authorities figures, determination were 650 COVID-positive patients successful region hospitals arsenic of Tuesday, up from 629 connected Monday. Of those patients, 179 were successful intensive care, up from 170 a time earlier.