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Humboldt Health Alert

Posted on: October 15, 2021

Oct. 15, 2021 - FDA Advisory Panel Recommends Boosters; Official Decision Expected Next Week

An advisory committee of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) voted unanimously today to recommend emergency use authorization for a booster dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine for adults 18 and older. The committee yesterday recommended that the agency authorize Moderna boosters for certain high-risk groups.

The committee also discussed data on using a booster of a different vaccine type from the one used in the primary series, commonly called “mixing and matching, but did not make a recommendation.

The agency is expected to make an official decision on boosters for both vaccines sometime in the coming days. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is then expected to meet sometime in the next week to discuss who will be recommended to receive them. More details will be released as they become available.

10 New Cases Reported; No Hospitalizations or Deaths

Humboldt County Public Health reported 10 additional cases of COVID-19 today, bringing to 9,015 the number of residents who have tested positive for the virus.  No hospitalizations or deaths were reported.

Since the last weekly data update on Oct. 8, the county has recorded 182 new cases. Two deaths were reported during that same period, including a fully vaccinated person over the age of 80 and an unvaccinated person in their 70s.

Five hospitalizations were reported over the last week, including one fully vaccinated person in their 70s. Age ranges of the four unvaccinated individuals who were hospitalized are one person in their 40s, one in their 60s and two in their 70s. 

The seven-day average case rate in Humboldt County is currently 19.9, meaning that for every 100,000 residents, just under 20 residents tested positive daily over the last seven days. The average case rate varies considerably depending on vaccination status, as illustrated by the graph below, depicting average weekly case rates since Dec. 2020 in unvaccinated and fully vaccinated residents. 

The current seven-day average case rate for vaccinated individuals is 8 per 100,000 residents, while the case rate for unvaccinated residents is more than four times higher at 34 per 100,000. Though cases have fallen from their peaks, rates for both groups remain higher than any time prior to the surge in late summer. View a more detailed depiction of the case rate graph.  

Chart showing case rates (per 100K) since December 2020 with the unvaccinated case rate at 21, vaccinated at zero. Unvaccinated case rates climb to 29 in January, down as low as three in April, then up to 26 in mid-May, while vaccinated case rates never exceeded three. On June 15, when COVID restrictions were lifted, the unvaccinated case rate was 13 and vaccinated case rate was zero. Then by mid-July, cases for everyone began to climb. On August 7, a local mask mandate was put back into place requiring all individuals over the age of 2 to wear a facial covering in public indoor settings and crowded outdoor settings. The local case rate for unvaccinated people rose to a high of 83 residents per 100,000 but has since declined to 34. The case rate for fully vaccinated individuals reached a high of 29 in early August and has declined to 8.

Health officials continue to urge residents, particularly those who are unvaccinated, to get tested if they are experiencing symptoms or have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for the virus.

Testing is available through OptumServe seven days a week at the Wharfinger Building in Eureka. Mobile testing sites are scheduled throughout the county most weekdays. For more information about testing, go to humboldtgov.org/covidtestregistration.

The county’s vaccination and testing services are available free of charge. Appointments for Public Health vaccination clinics are not required but are recommended due to an increase in demand for additional doses and boosters. 

Residents who receive their first or second dose at a vaccination clinic located at a Public Health facility in Eureka, Willow Creek or Garberville can choose a $25 Renner Petroleum or Coming Attractions Theatres gift card. Incentives are offered on a first-come, first-served basis.

Sign up in advance at MyTurn.ca.gov. For instructions in English and Spanish on how to use My Turn, go to humboldtgov.org/VaccineInfo

See the schedule below for specific clinic dates, times, locations and available services:

Miranda — Saturday, Oct. 16, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 
     South Fork High School (6831 Avenue of the Giants)
     Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson/Moderna
     PCR and rapid testing available

Eureka — Sunday, Oct. 17, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
     College of the Redwoods (7351 Tompkins Hill Road)
     Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson/Moderna
     PCR and rapid testing available

Eureka — Monday, Oct. 18, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Closed from noon to 1 p.m.
     Public Health Main Office (529 I St.)
     Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson/Moderna
     No testing available
     $25 gift card for those receiving a first or second dose

Weitchpec — Tuesday, Oct. 19, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. 
     Yurok Tribal Office (CA-96)
     Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson/Moderna
     PCR and rapid testing available

Willow Creek — Tuesday, Oct. 19, 3 to 5 p.m.
     Public Health Office (77 Walnut Way)
     Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson/Moderna
     PCR and rapid testing available
     $25 gift card for those receiving a first or second dose

Garberville — Wednesday, Oct. 20, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Closed from noon to 1 p.m.
     Public Health Office (727 Cedar St.)
     Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson/Moderna
     PCR and rapid testing available
     $25 gift card for those receiving a first or second dose

Orick — Thursday, Oct. 21, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
     Orick Elementary School (120918 US-101)
     Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson/Moderna
     PCR and rapid testing available

Trinidad — Thursday, Oct. 21, 4 to 7 p.m.
     Trinidad Town Hall (409 Trinity St.)
     Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson/Moderna
     PCR and rapid testing available

Eureka — Friday, Oct. 22, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
     Veterans Hall (1018 H St.)
     Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson/Moderna
     PCR and rapid testing available

Check availability of a specific vaccine at local pharmacies at vaccines.gov, or text a ZIP code to 438829 to locate a nearby pharmacy offering vaccines.

Pfizer is authorized for those 12 and older, and Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are authorized for people age 18 and older. County residents age 16 and 17 can receive a vaccination at a Public Health clinic without a parent or guardian physically present as long as they have a signed consent form. Children under 16 still must be accompanied by their parent or legal guardian.

View the Data Dashboard online at humboldtgov.org/dashboard, or go to humboldtgov.org/DashboardArchives to download data from a previous time.

For the most recent COVID-19 information, visit cdc.gov or cdph.ca.gov. Local information is available at humboldtgov.org or by contacting covidinfo@co.humboldt.ca.us or calling 707-441-5000.

Sign up for COVID-19 vaccination: MyTurn.ca.gov
Check for vaccine availability at a local pharmacy: Vaccines.gov
Local COVID-19 vaccine information: humboldtgov.org/VaccineInfo
Humboldt County COVID-19 Data Dashboard: humboldtgov.org/Dashboard
Follow us on Facebook: @HumCoCOVID19
Instagram: @HumCoCOVID19
Twitter: @HumCoCOVID19
Humboldt Health Alert: humboldtgov.org/HumboldtHealthAlert
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