Public Health Cautions Not Getting Vaccinated Can Lead to Devastating Consequences

10 New Deaths and 824 New Confirmed Cases of COVID-19 in Los Angeles County

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (Public Health) cautions that not getting the COVID-19 vaccine can lead to devastating consequences.  Public Health continues to track the protection offered by COVID-19 vaccines.

Unvaccinated people are 7 times more likely to get infected with COVID-19 and 44 times more likely to be hospitalized than vaccinated people. Unvaccinated teens 12 to 17 years old continue to now have the highest case rate of all age groups.

While the death rate among vaccinated people remains very low and nearly flat, deaths among unvaccinated people continue to remain exponentially higher. On October 23, the risk of death was 60 times higher among unvaccinated people than among those who had been vaccinated, 8.2 deaths per 100,000 unvaccinated people compared with 0.13 deaths per 100,000 vaccinated people.

In order to track the protection offered by vaccines, data is collected and analyzed for fully vaccinated people countywide. Among the nearly 6 million fully vaccinated people in L.A. County, Public Health identified 72,163 people who were fully vaccinated who tested positive for COVID-19 as of November 9. This is slightly over 1% of fully vaccinated people in L.A. County testing positive. Of those who tested positive, 2,420 were hospitalized, which translates to 0.041% of all fully vaccinated people. There have been 396 deaths among fully vaccinated people, or 0.007% of fully vaccinated people passed away.

Out of the nearly 10.3 million L.A. County residents, including those who are not eligible for the vaccine, 70% have received at least one dose, and 63% are fully vaccinated.

Today, Public Health confirms 10 new deaths and 824 new cases of COVID-19. The number of cases and deaths reflect reporting delays over the weekend. Of the 10 new deaths reported today, five people who passed away were over the age of 80, two people who died were between the ages of 65 and 79, one person who died was between the ages of 50 and 64, and two people who died were between the ages of 30 and 49. To date, Public Health has identified 1,512,147 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County and a total of 26,872 deaths.

There are 600 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized. Testing results are available for nearly 9,260,000 individuals, with 15% of people testing positive. Today’s test positivity rate is 1.0%.

“To everyone mourning someone who has passed away from COVID-19, we are so sorry for your loss and send you our deepest condolences,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “Our weekly case rate is 98 new cases per 100,000 residents, reflecting continued substantial and borderline high transmission across the county. Unfortunately, increased transmission among those not vaccinated will affect vaccinated people, as well – which is why additional protections such as masking remain so important. Getting vaccinated, getting boosters, and masking up indoors and in crowded outdoor spaces remains critical as we confront the real possibility of a winter surge.”

Anyone five years and older living or working in L.A. County can get vaccinated. Vaccinations are always free and open to eligible residents and workers regardless of immigration status. Appointments are not needed at all Public Health vaccination sites where first, second, and third doses are available.

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.

Please see additional information below: