The holidays are approaching fast and health officials are urging all Californians to get COVID-19 vaccines or - if they are eligible - to sign up for a booster shot. But, new data shows, demand is low even as the virus continues to spread.
Locally, only about a quarter of eligible seniors have gotten booster shots in Los Angeles County, according to data obtained by the L.A. Times.
Right now, several groups are eligible. They include everyone 65 and older, anyone with a compromised immune system and anyone who lives or works in a high risk setting. All who got the Johnson & Johnson vaccine at least 2 months ago are also eligible.
Following the approval of Pfizer boosters, California health officials anticipated an October peak in requests for shots - but told the L.A. Times that just 230,000 shots were given to seniors the first week of the month. That equates to about “21% of the projected demand of 1.1 million” the Times said.
Local booster demand is quite different from nationally gathered data. Across the United States, the Centers for Disease Control are seeing a spike in vaccine boosters that the organization said far outpaces the number of people who are just now getting their first doses.
On Nov. 2, more than 493,000 fully-vaccinated Americans got their booster shot. On that same day, only about 151,000 people got their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, according to the CDC.
But as of September, less than 450,000 Californians have gotten their booster shots, the L.A. Times Reports. That’s despite warnings from health officials that full Pfizer or Moderna vaccination becomes less effective after about six months.
That timeline is even shorter for the Johnson and Johnson vaccine, which is said to wane about two months after vaccination.
Low booster rates are leaving communities open to break through infections, the development of variants and leaving seniors at risk during the holiday season, when increased contact with family and friends is expected.
In L.A County, only about 27% of fully immunized seniors have gotten their booster shots and only 9% of the county’s nursing homes have completed booster vaccine clinics for their residents, according to the L.A. Times.
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