Vaccinations, boosters urged as COVID, flu cases climb
A health warning Monday morning: It's a triple threat that's putting us all at risk: COVID, flu and RSV cases are stressing local hospitals -- and it's only getting worse.
Hilda Badhoomyan heard about increases in COVID cases in the Southland and is getting her booster shot. Only 35 percent of California's vaccinated seniors have gotten updated Covid boosters, with even lower rates for younger age groups. Badhoomyan wants to get that immunity boost before holiday gatherings
"I don't want to get sick. Especially family and my grandkids," said Badhoomyan. "That's most important for me."
Arden Medical Pharmacy workers in Glendale say they've been getting more people coming in for vaccinations, both for COVID and the flu, which have been hitting the Southland hard.
"It is recommended, they can get both at the same time," said pharmacist Kambiz Farzam. "We don't push it if they don't feel comfortable, we let them do it a couple days apart from each other. But it is recommended and there's no harm in getting both of them at the same time."
Farzam says he continues to answer questions about vaccine safety, but because so many COVID vaccine doses have been given, those questions have decreased. He says folks are also usually relieved to know side effects tend to lessen with each booster.
"There's less side effects, and people are getting used to it because they already had a couple of shots in their body, so less side effects with this compared to the first," said Farzam.
Orange County hospitals are also seeing lots of people sick with the flu and COVID right now, and like their L.A. County peers, they are urging vaccinations.
"About 50 percent of the patients we're testing for COVID are positive," said Dr. Jose Mayorga, UCI Health Family Health Centers. "Most of the people that we are testing for both viruses haven't been vaccinated. And so it doesn't surprise us that they're coming in sick."