And CDC backs booster shots for ages 12-15
The California Department of Public Health has extended the statewide indoor mask mandate to Feb. 15.
The department made the announcement Thursday, and it means people are required to continue to wear face coverings in indoor public settings regardless of their vaccination status.
The Santa Barbara County Public Health Department also has extended its own indoor mask mandate to Feb. 1. Like the state mandate, it applies to people in indoor public settings, regardless of vaccination status.
The state’s mask mandate extension comes as cases continue to surge. On Thursday, the county Public Health Department reported 1,253 new COVID-19 cases and one death. (See Page A2 for further numbers.)
In other COVID-19 news this week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention approved the Pfizer booster for ages 12-15. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, only the Pfizer Bio-NTech Covid-19 vaccine is approved for adolescents ages 12 to 17.
The CDC officially endorsed the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ recommendation to expand the eligibility of booster doses to those ages 12-15. The CDC is also recommending that adolescents ages 12 to 17 should receive a booster shot five months after their initial Pfizer Bio-NTech vaccination series.
“We’re right in the midst of this new phase where children are affected, and children are affected in large numbers, and that I think until we know, until we get past this peak of omicron, I’m very much in favor,” said Dr. Sara Long, a member of the committee, according to a report by CBS News.
CDC advisers said they acknowledge the immediate threat of omicron and the need for additional shots to protect younger children.
They also have expressed concern over the long-term possibility of additional boosters to avoid future waves of infection and the vaccines’ potential safety risks. The committee has previously struggled with the risks of myocarditis, a rare but sometimes serious heart inflammation, which is a possible side effect linked to Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. The rare condition has appeared in some younger males after the second shot.
According to the CDC, data has shown that COVID-19 boosters help broaden and strengthen protection against omicron and other SARS-CoV-2 variants.
“ACIP reviewed the available safety data following the administration of over 25 million vaccine doses in adolescents; COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective,” according to the CDC.
“It is critical that we protect our children and teens from COVID-19 infection and the complications of severe disease,” Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the CDC director, said Wednesday. “Today, I endorsed ACIP’s vote to expand eligibility and strengthen our recommendations for booster doses. We now recommend that all adolescents aged 12-17 years should receive a booster shot 5 months after their primary series. This booster dose will provide optimized protection against COVID-19 and the omicron variant.
“I encourage all parents to keep their children up to date with CDC’s COVID-19 vaccine recommendations,” Dr. Walensky said.
New CDC guidelines have reduced the isolation and quarantine period to five days, as previously reported by the News-Press.
email: kzehnder@newspress.com
