The Los Angeles Post

Vaccinations Continue to Offer Hope for Minimizing the Impact of COVID-19

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1,641 New Positive Cases and 13 New Deaths Due to COVID-19 in Los Angeles County

Vaccines continue to provide powerful protection against COVID-19, yet many LA County residents have not yet started their initial series or received any booster doses. There are currently 1.9 million unvaccinated residents 6 months and older, and of the 7.5 million age 5 and older who are fully vaccinated, 57% have not received any booster. With more infectious subvariants circulating in the county and immunity from vaccines and prior infections waning over time, it is critical for residents not up to date on their vaccines to take advantage of the new Fall booster that targets the currently circulating BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants.

Vaccines have continued to provide protection against the virus. For the two-week period ending September 1, unvaccinated residents were two times more likely to get infected than those who are vaccinated and four times more likely to be hospitalized than vaccinated residents. Unvaccinated residents were also nearly seven times more likely to die from COVID-19 than vaccinated residents.

Sadly, because vaccination coverage is not similar across all age groups and race/ethnicity groups, there are some communities where there may be less protection from severe outcomes associated with COVID. As of September 18, only 22% of Latinx and Black children ages 5 to 11 are fully vaccinated, compared to almost 42% of White children and 61% of Asian children in this age group.

Young Latinx and Black adults ages 18 to 29 also had significantly lower vaccination rates of 58% and about 48%, respectively, compared to 91% of Asian residents and almost 77% of White residents in the same age group.

As we enter Fall and prepare for Winter, residents are able to take advantage of the powerful protection offered by vaccines.  Those who haven’t yet received their initial series may want to get started immediately since it will take a few weeks to reach maximum protection.  The 7 million residents eligible to receive the new Fall boosters should know that the new boosters match the dominating variants that are circulating, adding to their value in countering the natural waning of immunity that happens with the passing of time.  Residents ages 18 and older can receive either the Moderna or the Pfizer bivalent booster, while children ages 12 to 17 can receive the Pfizer bivalent booster. Both are given as a single booster dose, administered at least two months following primary or previous booster vaccination.

New bivalent boosters are likely to be available for children this Fall, possibly as soon as mid-October. These vaccines would provide protection against BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants, just as they already do for adults. Pfizer’s bivalent booster would be for children ages 5 to 11, and Moderna’s would be for children ages 6 to 17.

To find a location for the new booster go to VaccinateLACounty.com  or VacunateLosAngeles.com (en español).  Click on “Find a Location” and then search by “Vaccine Type”.

The 7-day average case count in the county is 1,396, a 17% decline from one week ago when the 7-day average of 1675 cases was reported. The 7-day average test positivity rate remains stable at 4.5% over the past week.

Over the past seven days, the average number of daily COVID-positive patients in LA County hospitals was 602, a 16% decline from one week ago when the average number of daily COVID-positive patients per day was 713.

Deaths, which typically lag hospitalizations by several weeks, decreased slightly to 12 deaths reported each day this past week, a decrease from an average of 14 daily reported deaths a week ago.

“I send my deepest sympathies and wishes of peace and comfort to the many families who have lost a loved one from COVID-19,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “While relieved that LA County remains at the CDC-designated Low Community Level for the fourth consecutive week, our experience the past two winters reminds us to be prepared for possible increases in transmission as we move into the late Fall and Winter. One important strategy for minimizing the disruptions and heartache associated with increased transmission, is for residents and workers to be up to date on vaccinations. Our goal in the weeks ahead, is to be sure that all residents have easy access to and good information about the vaccines and new Fall boosters. Increasing vaccination coverage allows us to envision a safe and healthy holiday season.”

Today, Public Health reported 13 additional deaths and 1,641 new positive cases. Of the 13 new deaths reported today, two people were between the ages of 50-64, three people were between the ages of 65-79, and seven people were aged 80 years or older.  For information on the one death reported by the City of Long Beach, visit longbeach.gov. Of the 13 newly reported deaths, 10 had underlying health conditions. To date, the total number of deaths in L.A. County is 37,773.

Public Health has reported a total of 3,447,249 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County. Today’s positivity rate is 4.5%.

There are 575 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized. Testing results are available for more than 12,544,177 individuals, with 24% of people testing positive.

A wide range of data and dashboards on COVID-19 from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health are available on the Public Health website at http://www.publichealth.lacounty.gov including:

Always check with trusted sources for the latest accurate information about novel coronavirus:

For more information:

 

Total Cases

Laboratory Confirmed Cases

3,420,213

— Los Angeles County (excl. LB and Pas)

3,235,294

— Long Beach

149,423

— Pasadena

35,496

Deaths

33,217

— Los Angeles County (excl. LB and Pas)

31,475

— Long Beach

1,318

— Pasadena

424

Age Group (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)

– 0 to 4

102,352

– 5 to 11

273,285

– 12 to 17

267,079

– 18 to 29

708,209

– 30 to 49

1,041,328

– 50 to 64

546,982

– 65 to 79

221,527

–  over 80

72,264

–  Under Investigation

2,268

Gender (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)

–  Female

1,659,736

–  Male

1,488,515

–  Other

1,511

–  Under Investigation

85,532

Race/Ethnicity (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)

–  American Indian/Alaska Native

6,089

–  Asian

229,037

–  Black

165,372

–  Hispanic/Latino

1,404,629

–  Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander

16,477

–  White

437,444

–  Other

367,430

–  Under Investigation

608,816

Hospitalization (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)

–  Hospitalized (Ever)

152,877

Deaths Race/Ethnicity (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)

–  American Indian/Alaska Native

73

–  Asian

3,980

–  Black

2,935

–  Hispanic/Latino

15,938

–  Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander

112

–  White

7,997

–  Other

348

–  Under Investigation

92