Now that federal authorities have issued specific guidelines for “booster” shots for some people, public health officials, healthcare providers and volunteers are in the midst of a renewed push for vaccination against Covid-19 in Santa Clara County.
More than 95 percent of eligible Los Gatos residents ages 12 and older have received at least a first dose of the vaccine, according to county data.
In Santa Clara County as a whole, more than 88% of residents have received at least one dose of the vaccine, while more than 84% are fully vaccinated, according to the county’s website.
Despite these high and climbing numbers, Safeway and local officials hope to have more vaccine clinics in the coming weeks.
Since early 2020, Los Gatos has reported 1,580 cases of Covid-19. The 95030 and 95032 zip codes, which include Los Gatos, reported 11 and 14 new cases, respectively, since Sept. 12.
On Sept. 24, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued new guidelines for a booster shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine. People in the following categories should seek a third Pfizer dose at least six months after their initial two-dose series of shots:
– People age 65 and older.
– Adults 18 and up living in long-term care settings.
– People ages 50–64 years with underlying medical conditions.
People who may receive a Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 Vaccine booster, according to the CDC, include:
– People ages 18–49 with an underlying medical condition.
– People ages 18–64 who are at increased risk for Covid-19 exposure and transmission due to working or residing in certain settings.
Shortly after the CDC announced the new booster shot recommendations, CVS Health announced that the pharmacy and retail store company is offering Covid-19 booster shots to eligible populations at nearly 6,000 stores across the country. These include 583 CVS stores in California.
As of Sept. 28, there have been 141,179 cases of Covid-19 in Santa Clara County, according to the county’s website. A total of 1,793 county residents have died with Covid-19.
