Greater than 540,000 San Diegans have protected themselves, their household and buddies by getting a bivalent COVID-19 booster because it turned obtainable in September 2022. County well being officers are urging extra to do the identical as we begin the brand new yr.
The COVID-19 virus remains to be widespread in our neighborhoods and county. County public well being officers are particularly urging folks 65 years of age and older―the group most in danger from critical problems, together with dying, of COVID-19―to get a bivalent booster.
The Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention and California Division of Public Well being a suggest bivalent booster for everybody six months of age and older.
Quite a few research have reported that the bivalent booster is simpler in defending folks from critical problems from COVID-19, together with the most recent Omicron variants that now make up 4 of each 10 instances within the U.S.
“It’s essential that San Diegans not let their guards down and proceed to guard themselves by getting vaccinated in the event that they haven’t been already,” mentioned County Public Well being Officer Wilma J. Wooten, M.D., M.P.H. “The virus remains to be circulating within the area. We’re nonetheless seeing excessive percentages of optimistic COVID-19 assessments and detecting excessive ranges of the virus in wastewater. Vaccinations, together with bivalent boosters, may help shield you from getting critically sick and even dying.”
The County Well being and Human Providers Company stories 519,371 San Diegans selected to get the bivalent booster within the 4 months from once they have been launched September by way of the tip of 2022. That included 126,772 in September, 178,256 in October, 123,450 in November and 90,893 in December. Up to now in January, 28,747 have obtained the bivalent booster.
COVID-19 vaccines, together with bivalent boosters, and flu vaccines are extensively obtainable at native medical suppliers and pharmacies. The County continues to supply vaccinations all through the area at its vaccination websites. Verify on-line for the times and hours websites might be open.
Preventive Measures
Along with vaccination and staying house when sick, San Diegans can take different precautions to guard themselves in opposition to COVID-19, in addition to seasonal sicknesses just like the flu. These measures embrace:
- Cleansing palms completely and infrequently.
- Staying away from sick folks.
- Carrying a facial protecting, particularly in crowded indoor settings.
- Usually cleansing generally touched surfaces.
- Conducting house testing when uncovered or when sick. The federal authorities is offering free at-home COVID-19 assessments obtainable once more by way of the winter for a restricted time. Households can order one pack of 4 free assessments by way of the U.S. Postal Service. For extra details about testing, go to the County of San Diego COVID-19 testing webpage.
COVID-19 Vaccination Progress
- Greater than 2.69 million or 80.5% of San Diegans have acquired the first collection of {one of the} permitted COVID-19 vaccines.
- Bivalent boosters administered: 548,143 or 22.0% of two,497,222 eligible San Diegans.
- Extra vaccination data might be discovered at coronavirus-sd.com/vaccine.
The County Well being and Human Providers Company now publishes the Respiratory Virus Surveillance Report weekly. The report is revealed every Thursday and tracks key respiratory sickness indicators.
COVID-19 Knowledge
For the week ending Jan. 14, 2023, the report exhibits:
- 2,325 COVID-19 instances have been reported to the County previously seven days. The area’s complete is now 972,887.
- The two,325 instances reported previously week have been decrease in comparison with the three,370 infections recognized the earlier week.
- 22 extra deaths have been reported within the week ending Jan. 14, 2023. The area’s complete is 5,703.
- Twenty-one of the individuals who died have been 65 or older.
- Fourteen of the folks had been vaccinated and eight have been unvaccinated or had not accomplished the first vaccine collection.
- Twenty-two had underlying medical situations.
Influenza Knowledge
For the week ending Jan. 14, 2023, the report exhibits the next:
- 4 extra flu deaths; the season’s complete is now 37.
- All 4 had underlying medical situations.
- Emergency division visits for influenza-like sickness: 3% of all visits (in contrast with 4% the earlier week).
- Lab-confirmed influenza instances for the week: 156 (in comparison with 342 the earlier week).
- Complete lab-confirmed instances up to now: 20,542 (in comparison with 1,449 on the identical time final season and a 5,223 prior 5-year common throughout the identical week).
Extra Data
Knowledge updates to the County’s coronavirus-sd.com web site might be revealed Thursdays round 5 p.m., excluding holidays. Extra details about the flu is out there on the County’s influenza web site.
