Bivalent Booster Vaccination Rates Remain Low, as LA County Shows Possible Signs of Winter Surge

1,595 New Positive Cases and 8 New Deaths Due to COVID-19 in Los Angeles County

There continues to be signs in LA County that there may be a winter surge in new cases of COVID-19. As we observe an increase in case rates and a change in early indicators, it is important to prepare in order to mitigate the potential impact on the health care system, high risk residents, and the community.

Today, LA County reports a 7-day average of 1,300 cases reported per day, a 24% increase from the 7-day average of 1,050 cases reported per day last week. There has been a steady increase in this number since November 1^st. As is expected with rising case counts, LA County is also seeing an increase in the average number of daily hospital admissions. This past week, there was an average of 77 admissions per day, an 18% increase from the 65 admissions per day the week before. The current case rate is now 86 new cases per 100,000 individuals.

Of the eight early alert signals that are consistently monitored to understand changes in COVID-19 transmission, three metrics are of Medium Concern this week and one metric is of high concern. This is a significant change from November 1 when two metrics where of Medium Concern and the remaining 6 were in Low Concern.

After being of Medium Concern for multiple weeks, the number of new outbreaks in skilled nursing facilities over the past 7 days is now at 21, surpassing the threshold for High Concern. We are working to multiply our efforts to get people in skilled nursing facilities vaccinated with the updated booster. Currently about 50 percent of residents have been vaccinated with the bivalent booster. The 7-day average for percent of Emergency Department encounters classified as COVID-19 related also increased to 5%, just meeting the threshold for Medium Concern. In addition, the number of TK-12 school outbreaks increased from 9 to 14 this week, putting it in the category of Medium Concern, and the percent of specimens sequenced that are identified as a new subvariant of interest, currently tracking for BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 is at 17 percent.

Facing the potential of a winter with a high level of community risk from respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19, two preparedness measures tracked on the LA County post-sure preparedness dashboard are currently in the Needs Improvement category. One notable area of concern is related to our capacity to sequence specimens to identify new strains of the virus.  This past week, the number of positive case specimens sequenced was at 294, a value that puts us in the Needs Improvement category and steps have been put into place to increase this number. Another area of significant concern is the very low number of residents 65 or older who have received an updated bivalent booster dose. At 23%, it is far below the 60% needed to meet the threshold for adequate.

Additionally, the lowest uptake is among the younger age groups, with children ages 5-11 and 12-17, bivalent booster rates are 4% and 5% respectively.

Residents can visit ph.lacounty.gov/howtogetvaccinated to find options for getting the updated booster and, if needed, their primary COVID-19 vaccine series. There are over 1,000 sites across LA County where you can get vaccinated. As we head into the holiday season, with many opportunities to gather with those we love, it makes sense to do our best to think about layering in the protections needed to safeguard the most vulnerable person or people at our gatherings. None of us should be afraid to continue to use mitigation strategies that we know work against many respiratory viruses, including wearing a high quality, well-fitted mask when you are indoors and testing before gathering. Small changes now could mean that we avoid big changes that become necessary if cases and hospitalizations really surge.

“I send my deepest sympathies and wishes of peace and comfort to the many families who have lost a loved one from COVID-19,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. ““The low number of residents getting the bivalent booster is worrying, especially given the possibility of a winter surge fueled by new strains of the virus that are very infectious. Those over 65 are at elevated risk for severe illness from COVID-19 and for many older people it has been months since their last booster, Bivalent boosters are widely available in LA County and we have an adequate supply to give a booster to everyone who is eligible. I know that earlier in the pandemic vaccines were very precious, and often the mindset was that people at lower risk should wait. ​This is not the case anymore. If you are eligible, you can and should get your updated booster now.”

 Today, Public Health reported 8 additional deaths and 1,595 new positive cases. Of the 8 new deaths reported today, three people were between the ages of 50-64, three people were between the ages of 65-79, and two people were aged 80 years or older.  Of the 8 newly reported deaths, 7 had underlying health conditions. To date, the total number of deaths in L.A. County is 34,039.

 Public Health has reported a total of 3,501,782 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County. Today’s positivity rate is 5.8%.

As of November 9, 2022, 464 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized.  Testing results are available for more than 12,669,810 individuals, with 24% of people testing positive.