After the Food and Drug Administration ‒FDA, for its acronym in English‒ authorized and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ‒CDC‒ recommended the updated booster for Moderna for adults 18 years and older and for Pfizer for those 12 years and older, these bivalent vaccines for COVID-19 are now available in San Mateo County.
This updated booster is now recommended for everyone 12 years of age and older who has completed the primary series.
In light of this, San Mateo County Health Officer Louise Rogers recommended that populations at higher risk for severe COVID infection, including older adults and people with underlying medical conditions, receive the booster shot as soon as they are eligible.
Additionally, she encouraged those in group settings, such as schools and congregate living facilities, to get the updated booster as soon as possible.
The updated COVID-19 boosters add the Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 spike protein components to the current vaccine composition, helping to restore protection that has waned since previous vaccination by targeting variants that are more transmissible and immune evasive.
This bivalent vaccine protects against two strains: the original virus strain and the Omicron variant.
The booster dose of COVID-19 can be administered along with other vaccines, including influenza vaccines.
To be eligible, those 12 years of age and older must have completed their primary vaccination series or received their last booster shot at least two months prior to receiving the updated booster. For those 18 years of age and older, either vaccine can be used, regardless of previous doses.
For those who have recently been infected, the CDC says you may want to consider waiting three months after infection to get the booster. This ensures maximum benefit as the body's natural immune response, triggered by the virus, begins to wane.
The updated boosters are available through many avenues. Pharmacies began offering appointments last week, and Kaiser, the Palo Alto Medical Foundation and other primary care providers already have appointments available.
The updated booster shot is being offered through county-run community clinics in East Palo Alto, North Fair Oaks, San Mateo, Half Moon Bay, South San Francisco and Daly City on a walk-in basis this week and appointments will be made available through MyTurn around Sept. 21, the health official said in a statement.
Rogers noted that local COVID-19 epidemiology in San Mateo County reinforces the rationale for vaccination, including boosters, as data shows the COVID-19 virus continues to circulate widely despite a decline in peak levels.
And, he said, the concentration of COVID-19 in wastewater in and around San Mateo County is two to five times higher than the March lows.
Of note, the number of patients hospitalized in San Mateo County with COVID-19 was 21 as of Monday and has fluctuated between 20 and 30 for the past several weeks, compared to levels between 30 and 60 for most of the summer.
"This decline is encouraging, although these numbers are still above the low of 4 to 8 hospitalizations in early April," Rogers said.
He added that there is a significantly lower risk of severe illness, hospitalization and death compared to earlier periods of the pandemic due to the many tools available to reduce the severity of COVID-19.
“In this context of increased community immunity against severe disease, our reported case count and hospitalizations rank us in the CDC’s low community tier.”
“The key messages for prevention and protection remain relevant as we approach the autumn and winter seasons. In addition to vaccination, including boosters, we continue to strongly recommend wearing a high-quality mask in indoor public places and increasing ventilation, for example by opening windows and doors where possible, to help prevent infections,” she said.
In that regard, she urged residents to get tested if they have symptoms and to contact their doctor, and if they test positive, a doctor can evaluate whether COVID treatments are right for you.
In the case of monkeypox (MPX), the official said that this outbreak is an important public health priority, however, the risk of transmission to the public remains low.
“We continue to support residents who contract MPX, as well as those most affected and at highest risk of infection. We currently have a total of 68 cases. In addition to case investigation and contact tracing to slow the transmission of infection, we support improved treatment pathways for those in need and vaccination for those at highest risk of exposure.”
With the change in the vaccination method to expand the limited supply, he said, eligibility criteria can now be expanded to include more people and second doses can be offered so people can complete the series.
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