COVID-19 hospitalizations have seen a steady increase across the Bay Area and California this summer. Contra Costa Health recommends the vaccination for everyone aged 6 months and older through healthcare providers once it becomes available, according to Contra Costa Health.
This updated vaccine received the green light from both the U.S. Food & Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention earlier this month, and healthcare providers and commercial pharmacies should begin to stock this life-saving inventory by next week.
According to Contra Costa County health officer Dr. Ori Tzvieli, the new COVID-19 vaccine aims to protect against the virus strains that residents are most likely to encounter this upcoming winter, much like the annual update given to flu vaccines. He emphasized the importance of the recent vaccine, particularly for older and medically vulnerable individuals, as the older COVID vaccines may fall short in their protection against the current strains.
The eligibility for this vaccine covers everyone aged 6 months and older, with the exception of those who may have received a COVID-19 vaccine dose recently, within the past two months.
Contra Costa County will not conduct dedicated vaccination clinics, unlike during the federally declared emergency response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which concluded earlier this year. Rather, those with health insurance can reach out to their healthcare providers for vaccination instructions. In contrast, CCH will cater primarily to Contra Costa Health Plan members, Medi-Cal and Medicare recipients, and those without health insurance.
Numerous Bay Area medical facilities are seeing a significant impact from the recent rise in COVID-related hospitalizations. For example, in Contra Costa County, the 7-day average number of new COVID-related hospital admissions has grown from 5.9 on June 14 to 12.1 on September 9-Services at county hospitals are not currently impacted by COVID-19.
To help protect vulnerable individuals from severe complications resulting from a COVID-19 infection, local health departments across the Bay Area have implemented health orders from November 1 through April 30 annually, which require workers at specific medical facilities to wear well-fitting face masks during work hours. Contra Costa's order applies to workers at acute-care hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, nursing homes, and high-risk outpatient settings such as dialysis and infusion centers. This requirement does not extend to patients or visitors. More information regarding COVID-19 in Contra Costa County can be found on the CCH website.
