by Steven Felschundneff | steven@claremont-courier.com

Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is now administering third-dose booster shots of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to select groups of vulnerable residents.

After the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle P. Walensky endorsed the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ recommendation for the booster vaccines, L.A. County elected to make the shots available.

Eligible county residents include those age 65 and older, those who live in long-term care facilities and people ages 18 to 64 who have underlying health conditions. In addition, residents who work in certain occupations including healthcare workers, first responders, grocery workers, teachers and day care staff and workers in homeless shelters and prisons are also eligible for the third shot.

“We thank the FDA and the CDC for their thorough and thoughtful review of the data surrounding boosters,” Barbara Ferrer, director of public health said on Friday. “Starting today, eligible Los Angeles County residents can begin receiving their booster dose at any of the hundreds of sites offering the Pfizer vaccine.”

Booster shots are only available to people who received the two-dose Pfizer vaccine at least six months ago. Boosters for those who received either the Johnson & Johnson or the Moderna vaccine will have to wait until the FDA reviews the data and determines the need and safety for those shots.

Residents can make an appointment for their booster by using the MyTurn system or by making an appointment at a pharmacy or clinic that offers Pfizer vaccinations.

According to the latest vaccination data from public health, nearly 70% of Claremont residents 12 and older now have received at least one shot. That number is being held back by working age adults because a remarkable 89.6% of youth age 12 to 17, and 93.8% of seniors, 65 and older have been administered at least one dose.

Beginning October 1, vaccination providers are required by the state to request patients’ email addresses and mobile phone numbers for California’s immunization registry. While providers are required to ask for this information, residents can still decline to provide it and will still be given the inoculation.

The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 continues to decline, a clear indication that the summer outbreak is fading. As of Monday, there were 907 COVID patients in Los Angeles County hospitals — a decrease of 146 people over the past week and 311 from two weeks ago. Also, the positivity rate continues to be relatively low and has dipped slightly to 1.2% in the last week.