Santa Clara County public health officials have issued an ominous warning.
The omicron variant is here, and completing a two- or one-dose COVID-19 vaccine series won't offer enough protection.
Officials are "strongly urging" all eligible residents to get their COVID-19 vaccine booster shot "right away" due to the omicron variant's spread.
The county public health department said in a release on Thursday that 40% of eligible residents have received boosters so far, warning of the "significant risk of exponential growth in COVID-19 cases in our region in the coming weeks." Ten omicron cases have been confirmed to the public health department, and the strain has been detected in each of the county's four wastewater treatment facilities.
"Two shots are not enough anymore," Dr. Marty Fenstersheib, the county vaccine officer, said in a release on Thursday in reference to Pfizer and Moderna's two-dose series. "We know protection against infection from the vaccines declines over time, so booster doses are critical for everyone who was vaccinated at least (six) months ago."
While initial evidence suggests the omicron variant doesn't present an increased risk in hospitalization or death, Santa Clara public health officials said Thursday the variant's higher transmissibility could cause local hospitals to be overwhelmed if there is a surge in cases. If there are thousands of new daily cases, a "small percentage" entering hospitals could overwhelm capacity.
"The omicron variant is causing a rapid, massive spike in cases in other parts of the world, and booster vaccines are our best defense against that happening here too," Dr. Sara Cody, county health officer, said in the release. Cody added quickly administering booster shots would help the county avoid a worst-case scenario.
Santa Clara County had 127 people hospitalized with COVID-19 as of Wednesday, according to state data. Over the two weeks culminating on Wednesday, the county had averaged 115 hospitalizations.
As of Thursday, Santa Clara County was experiencing "substantial" COVID-19 spread, as defined by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The county averaged nearly 63 new cases per 100,000 residents over the seven days ending Thursday, more than every Bay Area county aside from Napa (79.13 new cases per 100,000 residents) and Sonoma (68.37 new cases).
Not long before the county's announcement, one of its most prominent universities announced it would require students to receive booster shots and move classes online in January.
Stanford University officials announced on Thursday it would not hold in-person classes until after Martin Luther King Jr. Day, or after the first two weeks of the winter quarter. All eligible students, aside from those who have obtained a medical or religious exemption, will need to prove they've received a booster shot by Jan. 31.
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