COVID-19 Vaccine Additional Third Dose Approved for Certain Immunocompromised Residents

19 New Deaths and 3,810 New Confirmed Cases of COVID-19 in Los Angeles County 

Following the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) approval of an additional dose of the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines for immunocompromised people, Los Angeles County will begin administering third doses to those who qualify tomorrow. The FDA has amended the Emergency Use Authorization for these vaccines to allow for a third dose which can be administered at least 28 days following the second dose of the vaccine.

Ideally individuals should be vaccinated with the same vaccine they received for the first and second dose, but if that is not possible, receiving a third dose with another mRNA vaccine is acceptable.

Although the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines work very well in the majority of individuals, there is evidence that individuals who are severely immunocompromised are not fully protected after receiving two doses and this small, vulnerable group may benefit from a third dose. Certain medical conditions or the treatments used for specific conditions may prevent the immune system from responding adequately to two doses of the vaccine and therefore require an additional dose to provide adequate protection from COVID-19. Individuals who qualify for a third dose include organ transplant recipients, people undergoing cancer treatment, people with advanced or untreated HIV and those on certain immunosuppressive medications.

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (Public Health) encourages individuals who qualify for a third dose to speak to their healthcare provider to confirm their eligibility and get vaccinated. Third doses of the vaccines will be accessible through vaccination sites that currently offer Pfizer or Moderna vaccines.  Eligible individuals will be able to provide a self-attestation that they have a qualifying medical condition at these sites.

A follow-up dose is not currently recommended for those who have received a single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.  The FDA is still evaluating data on the effectiveness of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine in immunocompromised individuals.  COVID-19 vaccine booster doses are also not recommended for the general public at this time.

Today, Public Health confirms 19 new deaths and 3,810 new cases of COVID-19.  Of the 19 new deaths reported today, four people who passed away were over the age of 80, six people who died were between the ages of 65 and 79, four people who died were between the ages of 50 and 64, two people who died were between the ages of 30 and 49, and one person who died was between the ages of 18 and 29. Two deaths were reported by the City of Long Beach. To date, Public Health identified 1,342,839 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County and a total of 24,872 deaths.

There are 1,645 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized and 22% of these people are in the ICU. Testing results are available for more than 7,630,000 individuals with 16% of people testing positive. Today’s test positivity rate is 4.1%.

“We are thinking of every family member and friend grieving the loss of a loved one. We wish you healing and peace,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “Studies have shown immunocompromised people are more likely to have post vaccination infection and become severely ill from COVID-19. An additional vaccine dose for some people with weakened immune systems could help prevent serious illness and death. If you have a qualifying condition, we encourage you to speak to your healthcare provider about getting a third dose. We also encourage those who are close contacts of immunocompromised people to get vaccinated as soon as possible in order to protect their family members and friends who are at higher risk.”

Similar to the overall trend in L.A. County, the number of COVID-19 cases among people experiencing homelessness increased over the past few weeks. This week, there were 150 new cases reported among people experiencing homelessness which includes 74 cases from previous weeks that were newly identified as cases associated with people experiencing homelessness and are included in the new case totals. To date, 7,834 people experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles County tested positive for COVID-19 and 218 people who were experiencing homelessness passed away from COVID-19. Of the people experiencing homelessness who passed away, 101 were sheltered, 71 were unsheltered, and for 46 people who passed away, their shelter status was unknown.

There are 1,112 providers administering vaccinations to people experiencing homelessness; together they have administered over 49,282 doses of COVID-19 vaccine to people experiencing homelessness across Los Angeles County. Of the vaccinated people experiencing homelessness, 24,294 are fully vaccinated. The County continues to work closely with partner organizations to vaccinate and protect people experiencing homelessness from COVID-19 infection.

L.A. County continues to offer vaccines at many different sites across the county to make it as easy as possible for eligible L.A. County residents to get vaccinated. Anyone 12 and older living or working in L.A. County can get vaccinated against COVID-19. Vaccinations are always free and open to eligible residents and workers regardless of immigration status.

To find a vaccination site near you, make an appointment at vaccination sites, and much more, visit: www.VaccinateLACounty.com (English) and www.VacunateLosAngeles.com (Spanish). If you don’t have internet access, can’t use a computer, or you’re over 65, you can call 1-833-540-0473 for help finding an appointment, connecting to free transportation to and from a vaccination site, or scheduling a home-visit if you are homebound.

COVID-19 Sector Protocols, Best Practices, COVID-19 Vaccine Dashboard, COVID-19 Surveillance Interactive Dashboard, Recovery Dashboard, and additional actions you can take to protect yourself, your family and your community are on the Public Health website, www.publichealth.lacounty.gov.

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