COVID Booster Open to All Adults
If you were waiting to get your COVID-19 booster shot, the time is now, according to county health officials. Supplemental doses of the vaccine made by the three US manufacturers are fully approved for adults 18 and older following final CDC and FDA approval last Friday.
While the booster is available for adults, it is suggested only if you were fully vaccinated with the COVID-19 Pfizer or Moderna vaccines at least 6 months ago. The CDC previously recommended a booster for all adults who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine at least two months ago. The Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson booster doses are the same dosage as the original vaccine received in the series, while the Moderna booster dose is half the dosage of the original vaccine series.
“We expect a rise in COVID-19 cases as people gather with friends and family indoors and travel for the holidays,” said Dr. Nicholas Moss, Alameda County Health Officer. “If you are a fully vaccinated adult and enough time has passed since your vaccination, get your booster as soon as you can.”
More than 1.2 million Alameda County residents have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to ACPHD data. Children ages 5 to 11 are newly eligible for vaccination as of earlier this month.
“With emerging evidence suggesting that immunity from COVID-19 vaccination may wane over time, you should get your booster now, if eligible. Vaccination and booster doses will have the greatest benefit if they are administered before COVID-19 starts circulating at high levels again this winter,” the Alameda County Public Health Department (ACPHD) said in a statement issued this week.
More Black and Brown Residents Vaccinated
News of widespread availability of COVID-19 booster shots comes at a time when 81 percent of Hispanic/Latino and 74 percent of Black/African American residents, 12 years and older, have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, Alameda County Health Care Services Agency announced last week. Even more encouraging, 75 percent of Hispanic/Latino and 68 percent of Black/African American residents, 12 years and older, are fully vaccinated.
Using census tract-level vaccination rates data, the Health Care Services Agency partnered with community organizations to reach residents at their homes and in their shopping and business corridors to share facts about COVID-19 vaccines and opportunities to get vaccinated.
Since June 2021, the Direct Outreach to Residents (D.O.O.R) program has knocked on nearly 60,000 doors and held nearly 14,000 conversations with community members. In addition to ongoing increases in vaccination rates across Alameda County, these census tracts have seen a 10 percent increase in vaccination rates.
“Partnering with community organizations and neighborhood residents has strengthened the effort to reach people with information where they live, work, and shop,” said Alameda County Health Care Services Agency’s Public Health Director Kimi Watkins-Tartt. “Having an authentic discussion about concerns and receiving factual information from someone familiar supports informed decision making about vaccination.”
In addition to the D.O.O.R program, Health Care Services Agency launched a hyperlocal vaccine digital campaign to deliver vaccination information to specific age and race/ethnicity groups and residents in geographic locations in Alameda County with lower vaccination rates. The program includes a chance for the community to provide feedback to address current concerns and misinformation about vaccines in a timely manner while offering emotionally resonant reasons why a person might choose to get vaccinated.
Anyone seeking a COVID-19 vaccine or booster shot should contact their health care provider first, ACPHD advised. Primary vaccine and booster shot appointments are also available through the state’s MyTurn.ca.gov website.