Ferrer said the updated booster shot, which is engineered to specifically defend against currently circulating variations of COVID-19, is slowly becoming more widely available, and the county expects that in the coming weeks, the vaccinations should be available at more than 1,000 sites in the county. She acknowledged that COVID hospitalization and death numbers remain low, but added, “They are not insignificant.”
“Our own (local) data for the past 90 days shows that people who are not vaccinated against COVID-19 were three times more likely to be hospitalized and four times more likely to die from COVID-19 than people who were vaccinated,” Ferrer said. “This new vaccine is estimated to prevent about 400,000 hospitalizations and 40,000 deaths over the next two years. In L.A. County, we’ve also seen that certain groups of people are more vulnerable for severe illness from COVID-19. And this continues to be true, especially for older persons and people who are Black and Brown.”
While vaccination will not necessary prevent someone from becoming infected, health officials said the shots are effective at preventing patients from becoming severely sick or dying from the virus. Ferrer said hospitalization rates due to the virus remain elevated among Black residents, and among residents who are 65 years old or older. The rates are even higher for people aged 80 and older.
“Because (vaccine) availability is less than we expected at this point, we do want to emphasize that people in those higher risk groups should make their appointment or visit a site to get vaccinated earlier rather than later to make sure they have increased protection if transmission goes up,” Ferrer said.
Residents can get real-time information on vaccine availability and vaccination locations online at ph.lacounty.gov/vaccines. Ferrer noted that the vaccinations are provided for free at all county-operated vaccination sites. Free vaccinations will also be available at many sites for people who are uninsured or under-insured, she said.
People who have insurance should be able to receive the shots without any out-of-pocket costs, but Ferrer said people should check with their insurance company to determine if they need to find an in-network provider to receive a cost-free shot.
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Truth teller says
When are we going to say this is enough crap they are trying to pump into us. My doctors would have me taking multiple vaccines yearly, and this isn’t supposed to catch up with us some day. I won’t take vaccinations until I get to be 60 or so. Good luck all.
Tim Scott says
Whatever you think works for you. I will say that the numbers are in on the Covid pandemic, and they are crystal clear. States that followed policies endorsed by medical professionals (mostly states that have democrats in charge) suffered about 20% fewer casualties than states that pandered to the ignorant ‘but muh freedums’ crowd (mostly states that have republicans in charge). So, as I tell pretty much all republicans: avoid medical guidance as much as possible, please.
Mr. Virus says
Other factors such as number of people with preexisting conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, obesity, respiratory issues, etc. affected the numbers. Other factors like proximity, lifestyles, weather, etc. had impacts. New York’s convalescent homes were hit hard. Florida and California were not that far apart and they had different approaches. Covid is here to stay and people can choose how to deal with it. Vax, no vax. Mask, no mask. No matter what, please stay home if you’re sick no matter what you have.
Tim Scott says
Florida and California were not that far apart…until Florida was forced to release real data that they have been hiding for three years.
William says
I recall Desantis cheating on the COVID stats from the start. Didn’t he appont a vax denier as head of his health department?
Now, Desantis is lying about the outcome as usual. I would love to see Newsome debate the Florida Clown.
Mr. Virus says
The data is questionable all over as deaths were skewed in favor of a cause by Covid rather than what could have caused the death, such as a heart condition. The hosptial tried to get us to say that my mom died by Covid when she died by her heart issues. The final numbers show that CA and FL were still close and there are more factors than who followed the rules, which often changed.
Who are these idiots? says
Someone doesn’t understand healthcare, or management in general.
If a patient is medicated and stable, treatment is successful and patient and physician live their lives with the chronic condition as happily as possible. Medicine is a ‘practice’, not a ‘perfect’.
If some other cause arises to confound or exacerbate underlying conditions that were previously treated successfully, then that is the cause driving the failure of modern medicine to cure or treat disease. In this way, the causative factor is charged to the proper medical condition that caused illness/injury/morbidity/mortality.
To manage a system otherwise is patently stupid.
It would be like taking your car to a mechanic, and him telling you that because your old car had worn brakes, it was your fault that you got T-boned by a Semi while going through a green light in your direction. His logic? “Had your brakes been better, you might have been able to avoid the crash”, which, though true, is speculative and is not the primary cause of injury. The primary cause was an unpredictable large hazard violating safe travel rules.
Hypocrites R Us says
I recall Newsom dining at the exclusive French Laundry while he was instructing the rest of us mere mortals to stay home, wear our masks and get our vax. I also recall Nancy Pelosi getting her hair done when the rest of us mere mortals were forbidden to go to hair salons. I recall and will never regret the hypocrisy of California’s leaders during the pandemic.
Tim Scott says
“The data is questionable all over” may very well be true, in that there was incentive to list cause of death as Covid when it would have been possibly more accurate to say “heart disease aggravated by Covid” and similar. However, the data skew resulting from that is consistent, generally. The data skew in Florida, which was driven by the political aspirations of the governor, runs in the opposite direction and is unique…and even lying through his teeth DeSantis can’t make his response to the pandemic look like anything other than the sacrificing of lives to his glory that it was.
The best one though is Christi Noem. She makes no bones about it, her state had among the highest mortality rates in the country despite having ALL the advantages; scattered population, minimal international exposure, not a ‘retirement mecca.’ She calls her state the ‘best demonstration of good Republican leadership.’ Business there suffered absolutely no impact, and people dying was, to her, not a bad price to pay for that. If California had followed similar policies, even if all things were equal on the international exposure and population density factors which they obviously are not, California would have had 30,000 more dead.
By random distribution across the population of California that puts 394 of those additional deaths in the Antelope Valley. So next time someone talks about how “Democrats are ruining California and we need Republican leadership” ask them to name names. Who are the 394 people in our community that they are wishing were dead?
Mrs. Virus says
Honey, I’m not clear about what you said.
Hippo Kritt says
Did Desantis go the the French Laundry restaurant during the shutdown when the rest of us had to stay home? Except for our governor of course. And our house speaker who had to have her hair done at a salon that was closed to the peasants.
Richard Hofstadter says
They’ve been saying that republicans vote against their own interests and that includes medical advice.
There are 2 problems with the orange MAGA states.
1. They are welfare states sucking up federal dollars but keep they state taxes low ot non-existent.
2. They have disproportional power in Congress. The Dakotas have 4 senators. California has 2.
Together with voting against their own interstes and you’ve got the mess we’re in.
There is no way out.
We’re doomed.
It’s over.
The MAGAs aren’t getting any smarter.
Constitutionally Speaking says
Yes the Dakotas have 4 senators and CA only has two. CA has 52 seats in Congress compared to the Dakotas 2.
Richard Hofstadter says
So what, Constitutionally Speaking.
That’s appropriate based on population. But 4 senators for the Dakotas is no longer and is a problem. As you can see or not, 1 House rep, Matt Gaetz, has screwed up the Speakership even if California has 52. The system doesn’t work and the MAGA republicans are using every trick to make sure it doesn’t.
It was fine 200 years when the country first started but it’s the 21st century now and into the near future. Trump might have been convicted after impeachment if the Senate wasn’t arranged that way. But, we’re stuck with a bad design.
So, stuck with 2 senators from teeny, tny states is no longer workable and like I said, “We’re doomed”.
I don’t care that much any longer. I’m 77 and won’t be around as things worsen. Actually, you’re doomed if your decades younger or even a kid. When is the next school shooting scheduled due to the gun lobby owning red state senators and reps?
There is no way things will or even can improve with the current setup with Sen. Tuberville(R) blocking promotions during a military crisis and Alabama defying the Supreme Court’s order to create a second majority Black district.
It’s funny that the corrupt republicans on the Supreme Court have made it possible for a republican run state, Alabama, to defy it. What’s the Court going to do about it?
Your shallow thinking is noted.
S.K.U. says
Remember when Rex said anyone who went out with Covid should be shot? What a guy.
Angie O'Tensin, Converting-Enzyme II says
You definitely haven’t gotten it yet.
You will likely change your tune after one or two infections.
Good Luck, strategy zero.
William says
Here’s the deal, Truth teller.
If you don’t want to get a vaccine, fine. Here’s what to do if ou get sick with COVID.
STAY HOME. DON’T GO TO THE HOSPITAL. THERE’S A NEW LAW TO THAT EFFECT.
Kidding but there should be for folks like you. Same with with motorcyclists who don’t want to wear helmets. Get a big head injury when you crash your bike, STAY HOME. DON’T GO TO THE ER. FREEEDOM.
We nned to provide some negative incentives to keep some people from themselves.
Booster says
Everything will be Pfine.
To HELL WITH TH WOKE says
OK, are you Guinea pigs? You’re the puppets for these. Ignorant democrats Control selection time
Lorena B says
Shut your tin-foil mouth!
Let’s see what value your side has brought to the table, thus far:
“lizard people”
“Nesara”
“Gesara”
“Stolen election” (it wasn’t)
“Pizzagate”
Book banning and book burnings
“Moloch”
“Child sacrifices”
“Blood drinking”
“Trust the Plan” (there isn’t one)
“dOnAlD tRuMp iS oUr sAvIoR”
William says
NESARA/GESARA refers to a conspiracy theory, promoted by Shaini Goodwin (also known as the “Dove of Oneness”), that all debts will be wiped out in a radical reset of the U.S. economy.
I had to Google it, Lorena. They make up this chit faster than I can keep up.
You forgot “Jewish Lasers From Outer Space”. No, that’s not a 50s sci-fi movie from Columbia Studios.
Then, there’s the upcoming REPUBLICAN GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN. Some magas have been promoting that in the House.
There’s no better education than the second kick from a mule. It’s gonna take many more kicks for the republcans to learn their lesson.
No Kooks says
To be fair, that is all garbage that comes from Q-Anon. It is not mainstream Republican consensus, just as mainstream Democratic consensus is not defund the police, climate fatalism, NAMBLA, etc. We would be well served to remove the extremists from both parties from congress. It wasn’t too long ago when we had normal people in Congress. Today we have Greene, AOC, McConnell, Fetterman, Boebert, Omar, Gaetz, Tlieb, Lee, Jordan, etc. A third party option would serve us well. Maybe RFK can lead the charge. Since the corrupt Democrats are shutting him out like they did to Bernie, he will be running as an Independent.
Ahoy, Matey says
What the heck would evening news be like if that happened?
“Congress today passed several bills that will further improve the state of our Nations economy, increase the national surplus, and social harmony. Their actions will also improve foreign policy position among both allies and others, who are not yet allies. Polls show that Congress and the President have approval ratings of 92% and 95%, respectively.
There are chickens in every pot, and four cars in garages built for 4 cars, or tow in the driveway of garage only holds 2.
Likewise, children in school are all performing above average.
That’s the news, tonight. Good Night, Woebegone.”
ACE CARTER says
OH SURE –
WE ALL BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU TELL US –
***
NOT REALLY –
***