By Dr. Henning Ansorg, M.D., FACP, Health Officer County of Santa Barbara, Department of Public Health Last week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted Emergency Use Authorizations (EUA) for Moderna and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 booster doses. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup followed suit…
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By Dr. Henning Ansorg, M.D., FACP, Health Officer County of Santa Barbara, Department of Public Health Fall is here, and you and your family may be looking forward to scheduling visits to the pumpkin patch or enjoying fall festivals and Halloween parties. To make sure you all stay safe, here are a few recommendations as you head out to…
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By Dr. Henning Ansorg, M.D., FACP, Health Officer County of Santa Barbara, Department of Public Health
You may have heard that a COVID-19 booster shot is being recommended and are wondering if you are eligible for it and if you should get it.
On Friday, September 24, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) endorsed the recommendation for a booster shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in certain populations and for persons in high risk occupational and institutional settings.
People previously vaccinated with Pfizer BioNTech who SHOULD receive a booster include:
People who MAY CONSIDER receiving a booster based on their individual benefits and risks include:
Why do I need a booster shot?
COVID-19 booster doses are meant to boost immunity that may have waned overtime and are the same dose of vaccine that were given as part of the primary series. Those that should receive a booster dose are at highest risk of hospitalization or death and need to be prioritized for booster doses.
Booster doses can be received at least six months after completion of the initial vaccine series. California is ready to administer boosters to those that are recommended for boosters immediately.
What about those who didn’t get the Pfizer-BioNTech shot?
At this time, CDC is evaluating available data to make recommendations for other populations or people who got the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccines. We are anticipating these recommendations imminently.
Where do I get a booster shot?
You may obtain your booster shot at local pharmacies and in some instances, through your primary care provider. Please consult with your primary health care provider if you have questions about receiving a booster shot.
Source: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/booster-shot.html
With the advent of the Delta variant, we had not yet recuperated from the mental and emotional exhaustion felt from the pandemic.
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By Dr. Henning Ansorg, M.D., FACP, Health Officer County of Santa Barbara, Department of Public Health
If you’ve been waiting for full federal approval for a COVID-19 vaccine, the wait is over!
The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine received full approval on August 23, 2021, from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for persons 16+ years of age. The vaccine has been known as the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, will now be marketed as Comirnaty (koe-mir’-na-tee), for the prevention of COVID-19 disease in individuals 16 years of age and older.
The vaccine also continues to be available under emergency use authorization (EUA), including for individuals 12 through 15 years of age and for administration of a third dose in certain immunocompromised individuals.
According to Peter Marks, M.D., Ph.D., director of FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research: “Our scientific and medical experts conducted an incredibly thorough and thoughtful evaluation of this vaccine. We evaluated scientific data and information included in hundreds of thousands of pages, conducted our own analyses of Comirnaty’s safety and effectiveness, and performed a detailed assessment of the manufacturing processes, including inspections of the manufacturing facilities. We have not lost sight that the COVID-19 public health crisis continues in the U.S. and that the public is counting on safe and effective vaccines. The public and medical community can be confident that although we approved this vaccine expeditiously, it was fully in keeping with our existing high standards for vaccines in the U.S.”
FDA-approved vaccines undergo the agency’s standard process for reviewing the quality, safety and effectiveness of medical products.
Santa Barbara County, please get vaccinated today! Visit https://publichealthsbc.org/vaccine/ to find a clinic near you.
If you have been fully vaccinated, you have taken the best step possible to protect yourself, your friends, family and co-workers from getting the virus and the Delta variant.
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Everyone regardless of vaccination status will be better protected from the Delta variant when wearing a well-fitting mask in indoor settings. Unfortunately, the Delta variant can infect even vaccinated persons, however, they may not get severely ill or need hospital care.
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The Delta Variant, the latest virus strain of COVID-19 is of great concern as cases are increasing locally in Santa Barbara County, throughout California and across the U.S.
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Highly Contagious Delta Variant Continues to Circulate in Santa Barbara County (SANTA BARBARA, Calif.) - COVID-19 cases have reached critically high levels in Santa Barbara County as the local case rate has reached 9.8 cases per 100,000 residents and a positivity rate of 6.9%. With these metrics, Santa Barbara County would be in the purple…
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By Dr. Henning Ansorg, M.D., FACP, Health Officer County of Santa Barbara, Department of Public Health Santa Barbara County is seeing an alarming increase in new case rates for COVID-19, with active cases up 90% over two weeks ago. With the current uptick, it is expected that the daily case rates will continue to increase and cause…
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