With more gatherings and parties, the spread of COVID-19 is growing, especially due to the Omicron variant. For this reason, the Secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency, Mark Ghaly, urged Californians to get the booster vaccine and continue wearing face masks.
"Anyone who received the second dose of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine six months or more ago, or the Johnson & Johnson vaccine two months ago should get the booster. It is available for those over 16 years of age," the doctor said at a press conference held by Ethnic Media Services.
One year after the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine was administered in the state, the official noted that to date more than 26 million Californians have been fully vaccinated, while 6 million residents have received their booster shot.
However, there is still a long way to go, since, according to its own figures, 5.9 million Latinos, 340 thousand Asian-Americans and 920 thousand African-Americans remain to be vaccinated.
These figures are worrying, especially when the Omicron variant has gained strength in the state, with an increasing number of cases, and with the Delta strain still being the main source of positive cases in the state.
"We have been able to identify many cases of the Omicron variant not only in individuals but also in some of the wastewater in California, and we are taking samples to identify early spread and transmission to the community," he stressed.
And, he said, there is still much to learn about the Omicron variant.
“We know that it is a variant of concern, that it is highly transmissible, more so than the Delta variant that we have been concerned about. But, Delta is still the dominant strain in California and the one that is making people sick, sending them to the hospital, and sadly we are still losing many people across the state.”
In this regard, he explained that the vaccines provide a significant degree of protection, although he acknowledged that there is concern about the level of effectiveness against Omicron, unlike how it has been against Delta and other strains.
“There is much more to learn. And that is part of the reason we enter this month of celebration, with family at the holidays, with travel and guests from outside our communities, including counties and areas of the state where we do not currently have a requirement for wearing masks indoors in public places.”
Thus, while we continue to learn about the Omicron variant, the pediatrician also called for not letting down our guard and continuing with precautionary measures such as the use of masks.
“This is an opportunity to keep our guard up in a very useful and meaningful way during these critical weeks of celebration without having to do what some other countries have had to do, which is put more limitations on the things we all miss.”
She also called on all those traveling back to California to get a COVID-19 test 3 to 5 days after arriving at their destination. At the same time, she recalled that they updated the rules so that people attending mega events and who are not vaccinated, get a test two days before if it is a PCR test, and if it is an antigen test, the day before.
There is still a long way to go
There is still a long way to go in terms of vaccinations, and there are gaps that need to be closed so that everyone receives the necessary protection, stressed Mark Ghaly, who explained that a great effort has been made to make this happen.
“I am happy and proud of the innovative work that has been done with community and faith-based organizations, and with the recent community ambassador program to reach out to communities that have concerns about the health care system and actually sit down with neighbors to talk about the benefits of getting vaccinated.”
In addition to those who have found it difficult to access the vaccine, there are those who have decided not to get vaccinated, to whom he reiterated: "I have met many people who regret not having been vaccinated. In a timely manner, I have not yet met anyone who regrets having done so. The feeling of safety and protection is real."
"We will not let all this determine our destiny. We will continue to work hard together, 40 million Californians strong, to keep California on the right path."
You may be interested in: San Mateo County Must Address COVID-19 Testing Crisis: Canepa
