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SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – California is one of three US states that now allow all adults to have a booster dose of coronavirus, although federal health officials recommend limiting doses to those considered most at risk.
The nation’s most populous state, along with Colorado and New Mexico, has introduced its guidelines to avert a feared surge around the year-end holidays when more people congregate inside.
Colorado and New Mexico have some of the highest rates of new infections in the country, while California – the lowest in the nation earlier this fall – is now in the “high” class for transmission, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham signed an executive order on Friday that extends eligibility for COVID-19 booster syringes. The acting secretary of her Ministry of Health, Dr. David Scrase said rising case numbers were overwhelming some New Mexico hospitals.
“COVID-19 is incredibly opportunistic and it is our job to make sure the virus has fewer and fewer opportunities to spread,” said Scrase. “When it is time for you to get a booster, please do so immediately.”
President Joe Biden’s administration had requested approval of boosters for all adults, but advisors to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration decided in September that it was not clear that young healthy people would need another dose. Instead, they recommended boosters only for people over 65 and younger with certain underlying diseases or whose jobs are at high risk for the virus.
In California, State Health Commissioner Tomás Aragón sent a letter to local health officials and providers saying they should “allow patients to determine their exposure risk.”
“Because of failing to stop a patient requesting a booster when they’re 18 years or older and six months have passed since their second Moderna or Pfizer vaccine, or two months since their only Johnson & Johnson vaccine,” he wrote.
He told pharmacies that they should give priority to refresher therapies to those in qualified nursing or assisted living facilities as immunity to the earlier shots wears off. But in general, providers should “never miss an opportunity” to give unvaccinated or any other booster vaccinations when visiting a pharmacy, hospital or doctor’s office.
Many states are now seeing rising cases and hospital admissions. Nationwide there were around 73,000 new cases every day in the last week, around 10,000 more than three weeks ago.
In Colorado, where some hospitals are stressed to the limit, Governor Jared Polis signed an executive order on Thursday to expand the use of booster vaccinations. A day later, he received a dire warning for the roughly 20% of eligible people in his state who have not yet received a single dose.
“We wouldn’t even talk about it here if everyone had been vaccinated,” said the Democratic governor at a press conference. “If you are not vaccinated you will get COVID. Maybe this year, maybe next year. “
Officials in Colorado, California, and New Mexico said they had enough vaccines to provide primary vaccinations and booster packs to anyone they want.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Friday the Biden administration continues to advise health leaders across the country to “adhere to federal government guidelines on public health.”
California Minister of Health and Welfare Dr. Mark Ghaly said earlier this week that California’s decision would not conflict with federal guidelines. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were “very clear that they had two categories – groups that should receive a booster and groups that should possibly receive a booster”. he said.
“We know a number of Californians work in crowded public environments,” said Ghaly. “Because of your work-related risk, or even you live with people who have underlying diseases (and are yourself at higher risk), or you are a member of a community that has been devastated and badly hit by COVID … CDC and the FDA, for the To get booster. “
Dr. Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, a professor of epidemiology at the University of California at San Francisco, said the boosters were delayed. This is worrying as winter is approaching and the highly contagious Delta variant that caused a summer spike continues to circulate.
The Delta variant is “really good at finding people, including people who were vaccinated earlier this year and now the vaccination is waning a bit,” she said. “Delta is a powerful force and everyone needs that third dose.”
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Associate press writers Jim Anderson in Denver, Susan Montoya in Sante Fe, New Mexico, and Darlene Superville in Washington contributed to this report.
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https://www.kxan.com/news/national-news/california-colorado-and-nm-expand-virus-booster-access/
