Health officials urge public to get COVID booster shots
A new COVID wave is coming, and public health officials are urging the public to get booster shots.
"The holidays bring a lot of people together in indoor settings so there is a lot more opportunities for transmission, said Dr. Anissa Davis, Long Beach's Health Officer.
On Monday, Moderna released data showing its new bivalent COVID-19 booster works significantly better than its original formula, particularly against the highly contagious Omicron variant. However, according to the latest numbers people aren't getting boosted at the same rate compared to when the vaccines were first released. In Long Beach, 70% of residents are fully vaccinated, but less than 40% have their boosters.
Davis said people are experiencing "vaccine fatigue."
When vaccines against COVID-19 were initially offered in 2021, it was a matter of life and death. Now that there are other treatments, and more people have been vaccinated and boosted, the public's feeling of urgency has decreased.
"People were missing work. It was delaying flights. It was closing down restaurants," said Davis. "There were all these things that were happening. So, I think there was a big motivation to get vaccinated. As this virus has become less deadly, you start to have more of the fatigue."
But health officials urge people to get boosted in order to protect themselves from new coronavirus variants, especially as the winter approaches.
According to Davis, the season accelerates the spread of respiratory illnesses like COVID-19, the flu and respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV. All of these sicknesses can overcrowd hospitals and, in some cases, be deadly.
People can get also get this year's flu shot for free, and no appointment is necessary.
For more information, visit the Los Angeles County Public Health Page here.