County of LA, Public Health, Press Release
As the new updated COVID-19 vaccine becomes available across Los Angeles County, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (Public Health) encourages residents to make a plan to get vaccinated in order to have the best protection against severe illness, hospitalization, long COVID and death from COVID-19.
A newly available COVID-19 vaccine, with no out-of-pocket cost regardless of insurance or immigration status, is recommended for everyone 6 months and older, even if they received an earlier vaccine, had COVID-19 previously or have never been vaccinated against COVID-19 before. Immunity to COVID infections wanes over time and with new variant strains circulating, there is increased potential for infection. The updated vaccine is safe and provides effective protection against severe illness from COVID-19 strains that are circulating now.
Residents 6 months and older should receive at least one dose of the updated vaccine. To maximize protection, it is recommended that a person wait two months since their last dose if they have been recently vaccinated against COVID-19 or they can wait up to three months after a COVID infection. For children under 5 years old or people who are immunocompromised, Public Health recommends speaking to a provider about the most effective timing and dosing for the updated COVID-19 vaccine; multiple doses of the updated vaccine may be recommended.
Certain groups of people, including people over 65, people who are pregnant, and people with underlying or chronic conditions, are more susceptible to severe outcomes from COVID-19 and should prioritize vaccination. For groups who are more vulnerable and the general public, Public Health has compiled information online. Resources about COVID-19 and other vaccines, including how they work, recommended doses for vulnerable groups, such as infants and toddlers, and how to get vaccinated in Los Angeles County can be found at publichealth.lacounty.gov/vaccines/.
Links on the Public Health vaccine site will allow residents to find vaccine providers near their home or work and make appointments for themselves and family members. Through myturn.ca.gov, residents can see which providers have doses available, including doses that can be administered under the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Bridge Access Program or Vaccine for Children program, both options for people who are uninsured or underinsured to receive the vaccine at no cost.
Under the Affordable Care Act and CARES policy, private insurance companies are required to cover the cost of the COVID-19 vaccine within 15 business days of the CDC recommendation, which is Oct. 3. Using an out-of-network provider or pharmacy may incur a charge depending on individual plans. If a person’s health insurance does not cover COVID-19 vaccine costs, the person may be considered underinsured and should be eligible for the Bridge Access Program or Vaccine for Children program.
The Vaccine for Children program covers updated COVID-19 vaccination in addition to other recommended childhood vaccines, including those that are required for school. Parents can visit bit.ly.VaccineForChildrenSites to find a location that is convenient for them.
Many pharmacies across Los Angeles County have received vaccine doses and started vaccinating. Public Health vaccine distribution sites, located at Ted Watkins Memorial Park in South Los Angeles and Obregon Park in East Los Angeles, in addition to six local Public Health Centers will begin administering the updated COVID-19 vaccine shortly once doses have arrived from the manufacturer. Residents will be able to drop-in or make appointments to be vaccinated and can visit myturn.ca.gov to check if appointments have opened.
Working with skilled nursing facilities, faith-based organizations and other community partners, Public Health has begun providing the updated COVID-19 vaccine at mobile sites throughout the county, particularly at sites where elderly residents live or congregate. Hosting a mobile vaccine clinic is easy and free. To learn more or to request a mobile vaccination team at your event, visit VaccinateLACounty.com.
Information is available seven days a week, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., from the Public Health Call Center at 1-833-540-0473. This free service is available to answer questions about COVID-19 and the updated vaccine. Callers can also get help finding sites with available vaccine, scheduling appointments or arranging a free homebound vaccine appointment.
Due to the number of COVID-19 cases that are not reported to Public Health, wastewater concentrations of SARS CoV-2 provide more complete information about transmission levels in our community. This measure tracks virus levels in wastewater and is not dependent on cases reported or captured through testing. For the last reporting period, SARS CoV-2 wastewater concentrations were at 38 percent of the 2022-2023 Winter Peak, indicating continued elevated rates of community transmission. The wastewater concentrations have been steadily increasing, slowly, for the past seven weeks since Aug. 2, when Los Angeles County reported wastewater concentrations that were 12 percent of the Winter 2022-23 peak.
However, hospitalization rates remain steady. Los Angeles County remains in the CDC Low Hospital Admission Level with 7.6 weekly COVID-19 hospital admissions per 100,000 people, reported on Sept. 18 for the seven-day period ending Sept. 9. The daily average of the number of COVID-19 positive hospitalized individuals in Los Angeles County dropped slightly from last week to 597. Sadly, this week there were a daily average of four COVID-19 deaths, compared to the low of one average daily death reported three weeks ago. This likely reflects the fact that COVID-19 deaths often increase a few weeks after there is an increase in hospitalizations. Should hospitalization numbers continue to decline, COVID-19 deaths should also start to decline in October.
The COVID-19 Response Plan for Los Angeles County has been updated to reflect the current metrics and guidance we will be using to respond to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Public Health reports COVID-19 data weekly. The following table shows case, wastewater, emergency department, hospitalization and death data in Los Angeles County over the past four weeks.
