LOS Angeles County will start administering second booster doses of a COVID-19 vaccine to eligible adults following the United States Food and Drug Administration’s authorization this week.
Individuals 50 years and older will be eligible for another booster dose of either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines at least four months after they received their first booster dose.
“Current evidence suggests some waning of protection over time against serious outcomes from COVID-19 in older and immunocompromised individuals. Based on an analysis of emerging data, a second booster dose of either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine could help increase protection levels for these higher-risk individuals,” said Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, in a news release.
“Additionally, the data show that an initial booster dose is critical in helping to protect all adults from the potentially severe outcomes of COVID-19. So, those who have not received their initial booster dose are strongly encouraged to do so.”
LA County Department of Public Health vaccination sites will start administering the doses to eligible residents starting Wednesday, March 30.
The sites include Obregon Park (East Los Angeles), Ted Watkins Park (South Los Angeles), Balboa Sports Complex (Encino), Commerce Senior Citizens Center (Commerce), Market Street Center (Santa Clarita), Palmdale Oasis Recreation Center (Palmdale), and the Norwalk Arts and Sports Complex (Norwalk). Visit VaccinateLACounty.com for more information.
Eligible residents can also check with other vaccination sites about the availability of the second booster dose.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) likewise updated its recommendation to allow certain immunocompromised individuals and people over the age of 50 to receive their second booster shot.
Further, based on newly published data, adults who received a primary vaccine and booster dose of Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen COVID-19 vaccine at least four months ago may now receive a second booster dose using an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine.
“Boosters are safe, and people over the age of 50 can now get an additional booster 4 months after their prior dose to increase their protection further. This is especially important for those 65 and older and those 50 and older with underlying medical conditions that increase their risk for severe disease from COVID-19 as they are the most likely to benefit from receiving an additional booster dose at this time. CDC, in collaboration with FDA and our public health partners, will continue to evaluate the need for additional booster doses for all Americans,” CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said in the statement.
As of Tuesday, March 29, Public Health released the latest data on COVID-19: 541 New COVID-19 cases (2,831,655 cases to date); seven new deaths due to COVID-19 (31,626 deaths to date); 321 people currently hospitalized with COVID-19; more than 11,675,000 individuals tested; and 22% of people tested positive to date. (AJPress)
