Los Angeles County on Friday began administering Pfizer booster shots shortly after the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention approved third doses of the vaccine for certain groups, including frontline workers.
CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky overruled an agency advisory panel that had refused to endorse the booster shots for healthcare workers, teachers, grocery workers and others whose jobs put them at risk.
L.A. County's director of public health, Barbara Ferrer, said the county is prepared to offer boosters for those over 65, residents of long-term care facilities, those who are immunocompromised in addition to those working in high-risk industries.
The move paves the way for plans announced by Gov. Gavin Newsom Thursday that his administration would roll out Pfizer vaccine boosters following the Food and Drug Administration's approval of the shots. State officials said their MyTurnVaccine Platform will start taking appointments on Friday.
The approvals set the stage for a massive inoculation campaign with millions in the state expected to become eligible for a third shot. In Los Angeles County, health officials estimate slightly over 1 million people got two doses of Pfizer before April 1 and about 420,000 of them were 65 years old and older.
Still, as more and more people seek a booster shot, clinics are likely to experience another flood of vaccine demands at a time where large vaccination sites like Dodgers Stadium have reverted back to their original purpose.
Here's what to expect:
Am I eligible to get the booster shot?
Newsom announced California residents over the age of 65 or who work in high-risk settings can begin receiving booster shots along with severely immunocompromised people.
The booster shot is not recommended for children, nor for people who received the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccine, even if they meet the age or occupation criteria. MyTurn will send a text message to Californians as they become eligible for the booster.
Where can I get the booster?
Residents should visit MyTurn.ca.gov and make an appointment or find a walk-in appointment at a clinic that offers the Pfizer shot, since it's not guaranteed every vaccine clinic will have a supply of the Pfizer booster shot. Those who qualify for in-person vaccinations can call the Department of Health Services at 833-540-0473. Residents will also need to bring proof of their previous vaccinations, either in the form of a vaccination card, digital record or a photo of the vaccination card.
Will people who got the Moderna or J&J shots be eligible for the Pfizer booster shot?
The FDA has not approved any other booster shots except for Pfizer's. Those who received other vaccines are not eligible for a Pfizer booster, but the FDA said it is working to quickly approve the Moderna booster shot.
When after getting my shots should I wait for a booster?
The FDA recommends the Pfizer booster shots be taken at least six months after receiving their second vaccination dose.
Will clinics be asking for some kind of proof of eligibility?
Clinics will require vaccine proof to make sure the person has received two Pfizer doses before getting the booster. Here are the forms of vaccine proof the city, county and state accept. People may also have to sign an attestation form that confirms they meet the criteria of getting the booster.- Here's How You Can Show Proof of Vaccination in Los Angeles - dot ... ›
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Children aged 5 to 11 may be eligible for a coronavirus vaccine by the time they go trick or treating on Halloween.
Pfizer and BioNTech announced Monday its vaccine has been shown to be safe and highly effective among children in that age group. The companies plan to apply to the Food and Drug Administration by the end of the month for emergency authorization to use the vaccine in these children.
The announcement is sure to bring relief for parents and teachers who have been waiting for young children to get vaccinated. Health officials report 8.8% of 5 to 11-year-olds in the county have tested positive for COVID-19. Though case rates have been falling even as children have returned to school.
Unvaccinated children, even if they are asymptomatic, can spread the virus to family members, teachers and others who they are in regular contact with.
Pfizer and BioNTech plan to receive the results of its vaccine trial in children under 5 by the end of the year.
The emergency approval for 5- to 11-year-olds could come swiftly if the process goes as smoothly as it did for other age groups.
Emergency approval for the Pfizer vaccine for people aged 16 and older and children 12 to 15 years old both took three weeks. The FDA has yet to provide full approval of the Pfizer vaccine for children aged 12 to 15. But they can still receive the vaccine under emergency use authorization.
The decision comes at a time when pediatric cases of COVID-19 nationally are on the rise. National data show more than 5 million cases of COVID-19 have been reported among children and teens, causing 460 deaths since the start of the pandemic. Pediatric cases now account for 1 in 5 new cases.
Pfizer's announcement could have big implications for the Los Angeles Unified School District, which was the first major school district in the nation to mandate vaccines for eligible students.
Students who are 12 and older are required to be vaccinated by Jan. 10. It is unclear if the district will extend the mandate to all students 5 and older if the vaccine is given emergency use approval.
The district has established a robust system for administering vaccines. In August, mobile vaccination teams visited every middle and school to administer first and second doses and vaccine appointments can be scheduled through the district's Daily Pass app, which was made by Microsoft. The district has not said whether they would provide vaccines for younger children, if the approval comes.
The full data from the vaccine trial for 5- to 11-year olds has not yet been published or peer reviewed. It will be studied by regulators to determine whether the vaccine is safe and effective.
"We are eager to extend the protection afforded by the vaccine to this younger population, subject to regulatory approval, especially as we track the spread of the Delta variant and the substantial threat it poses to children," Pfizer chief executive Albert Bourla said in a statement. "Since July, pediatric cases of COVID-19 have risen by about 240 percent in the U.S. — underscoring the public health need for vaccination."
There were nearly 2,300 children between ages 5 and 11 in Pfizer's trial, two-thirds of whom received the vaccine.
In the trial, children who received two shots of a 10 microgram dose, spaced three weeks apart had similar side effects to young adults. People 12 and older receive a 30 microgram dose.
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L.A. County will require people entering 21-and-up venues and "mega events" to have proof of the coronavirus vaccine. As positive tests inch slowly upward in the county, the move is an attempt to prevent a surge.
Under the rules every single employee and patron at bars, clubs and wineries will need to have at least one shot by Oct. 7 and two shots (if applicable) by Nov. 4.
Mega events, classified as indoor events with more than 1,000 people and outdoor events with more than 10,000 people, will also have to comply, meaning most stadiums, concert venues and theme parks will be impacted.
"As evidence mounts that affirms the safety and effectiveness of these vaccines, it's a critical part of our policy strategies to prevent future surges of COVID from causing the kind of widespread suffering we have endured for the past year and a half," L.A. County Director of Public Health Barbara Ferrer told the Board of Supervisors on Wednesday.
Patrons can show proof of vaccination using their CDC-issued card or other forms of digital vaccination endorsed by the city and state.
The new vaccine mandate is an update of the County Department of Public Health's previous order established by the county. Ferrer said the county is helping local establishments gear up for the Oct. 7 with a toolkit that will help businesses keep up with the mandate, though she did not elaborate on what that toolkit would entail.
California and Los Angeles have traditionally been on the forefront of stricter vaccine mandates. When President Biden announced sweeping coronavirus vaccine rules for employers last week, they were on-par with many rules L.A. employers placed on their workers already.
L.A. County's hospitalization rates for COVID patients are in decline, but the county has reported over a thousand new cases as of yesterday.
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