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San Diego County Officials Urge COVID Booster Shots For Those Eligible

A woman receives a COVID-19 vaccine at the vaccination super station at Grossmont Center in La Mesa, Calif. Feb. 2, 2021.
Roland Lizarondo
/
KPBS
A woman receives a COVID-19 vaccine at the vaccination super station at Grossmont Center in La Mesa, Calif. Feb. 2, 2021.

San Diego County officials encouraged thousands of eligible residents to get COVID-19 vaccine boosters and reminded those who have not yet received the shot that it is the best way to avoid severe symptoms from the virus.

Only those who received their second dose of Pfizer vaccine more than six months ago, and meet certain other criteria, are eligible. Those who received Johnson & Johnson and Moderna vaccines will have to wait for U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Food and Drug Administration approval.

San Diego County Officials Urge COVID Booster Shots For Those Eligible
Listen to this story by Matt Hoffman.

The CDC recommends the following groups get the booster:

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— Those 65 and older;
— Those 18 or older living in long-term care facilities; and
— Those 50-64 with underlying health conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer.

Additional groups are eligible for the booster, including:

— Those 18-49 with health conditions;
— Those 18-64 who work in occupations working with the public, such as first responders, educators, grocery workers and food service workers.

Board of Supervisors Chair Nathan Fletcher said in terms of vaccinations, the county was outpacing most of the state — which already has one of the highest vaccination rates in the nation — and that San Diegans should be proud of their efforts to combat COVID-19.

Nearly 4.72 million vaccine doses have been administered in San Diego County, with around 2.5 million — or 87.7% of eligible county residents — having received at least one dose, according to the latest data. Fully vaccinated county residents now number more than 2.2 million, or around 78.2% of the county's eligible population. San Diego County Supervisor Nora Vargas also noted that the South County has a vaccination rate of 88.8%, and offered kudos to those communities.

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On Monday, the county reported 356 new COVID-19 infections and three new deaths.

Monday's data brought the county's cumulative totals to 354,732 cases, while fatalities increased to 4,054 since the pandemic began.

The number of COVID patients in county hospitals increased from 385 on Sunday to 387, with 136 of those patients in intensive care, according to state figures.

A total of 24,592 new tests were logged Monday, and the percentage of positive cases over the past seven days was 3.5%.

San Diego County's case rate per 100,000 residents is 27.6 overall, 13.0 for fully vaccinated people and 47.3 for not fully vaccinated San Diegans.

No-cost COVID-19 vaccines are widely available. They can be found at medical providers, pharmacies, community clinics and county public health centers for people who do not have a medical provider.

A list of locations and more information is available at coronavirus-sd.com/vaccine.

San Diego County Suggesting Pfizer COVID-19 Booster Shots for Some Groups