CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, Calif. (KRON) -- Contra Costa Health Services will begin administering second COVID-19 booster shots for people 50-years-of-age and older at its vaccine sites Wednesday.
"The vaccine is one of the most effective vaccines in history," health officer Ori Tzvieli said. "I have no doubt in my mind, because of the vaccine, hundreds or thousands of lives have been saved."
Officials say, 81% of the county's eligible population is fully vaccinated and 50.5% have been boosted.
"We're hitting a low point in recent months," health director Anna Roth said.
During the county board of supervisors meeting Tuesday, Roth said health services continues to monitor the fast spreading omicron subvariant BA2.
The U.S. Center of Disease control and prevention says it is the dominant strain of the virus across the country.
Roth says it is not overwhelming hospitals, like omicron did.
"We don't see any signs of surge at this point," Roth said.
Although the average number of new cases and hospitalizations have stabilized, Tzvieli says students and other county residents should stock up on at-home antigen tests, especially during spring break.
He says they should also consult with a doctor about being prescribed the widely available oral antiviral medication, paxlovid, if their results return positive.
"There's plenty of supply right now," Tzvieli said. "It's available to everyone. It's not being reserved for specific groups."
Tzvieli says the medicine could reduce a person's chance of being hospitalized with the virus by 90%.
from KRON4 https://ift.tt/pzxQbcf
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