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News Release
Los Angeles County Public Health Logo

313 N. Figueroa Street, Room 806  |  Los Angeles, CA 90012  |  (213) 288-8144  |  media@ph.lacounty.gov

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For Immediate Release:

October 28, 2021

Public Health Prepares to Administer COVID-19 Vaccine to Children Ages 5 to 11
20 New Deaths and 1,887 New Confirmed Cases of COVID-19 in Los Angeles County

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (Public Health) prepares for administering COVID-19 vaccines to children 5 to 11 years old once the FDA and CDC recommends and approves Pfizer vaccines for children in this age group.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, there have been more than 200,000 cases among children and teens in L.A. County. Over the week ending October 10, 12% of L.A. County cases were in children aged 5 to 11. Children in this age group comprise 9% of the county’s population. Since March of 2020, L.A. County has seen more than 79,000 cases among children aged 5 to 11, more than 37,000 cases in children under 5 and more than 89,000 cases in teens aged 12 to 17. The County has seen 632 hospitalizations in children under 5; 376 among children 5 to 11; and 740 among teens aged 12 to 17. The very low number of pediatric deaths seen in L.A. County – seven in total – have occurred during or shortly after case surges. Five of these deaths were in children aged 12 to 17, while one was under 5 and one was a child between the ages of 5 and 11.

In the next few days, the FDA will consider its committee’s advice and make a decision whether to issue an emergency use authorization for the Pfizer vaccine for children 5 to 11 years old. Then, on November 2 and 3, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices is expected to meet and vote on their recommendation, and shortly thereafter, the CDC Director will make a recommendation on how to use the vaccine in children. Once this recommendation is issued, vaccine providers nationwide will implement the authorization which could happen as early as November 3.

There will be hundreds of providers in L.A. County ready to provide vaccines to children in this age group as soon as the CDC issues its recommendation. The County is positioned to have almost 150,000 pediatric doses of the Pfizer vaccine available next week. Parents and caregivers can also check with their children’s pediatrician to see if they will be administering COVID vaccines once there is final approval from the CDC.

Tonight, Thursday, October 28, at 6:00 p.m., Public Health will host a Virtual Town Hall on COVID-19 vaccine. Join Public Health to learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine, boosters, vaccinating children 5-11, and more. The town hall will be streamed live on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube @lapublichealth. For more information and to submit a question, visit: tinyurl.com/LACVaxTownHall

Last week, there were 500 student cases and about 2,700 student close contacts. Among staff, we saw 80 cases and 120 close contacts. These numbers represent a 40% decline in school cases and a 43% decline in staff cases from the prior week. Given there are more than 1.7 million children and staff attending or working at over 3,000 schools countywide, these are strikingly low numbers. This amounts to a test positivity of 0.2% among students and staff testing positive, with 0.2% identified as close contacts.

While Public Health anticipates that the ability to vaccinate all school-aged children will provide the best protection, the continued efforts of school communities show that masking and other preventive measures, like testing, are also powerful tools for supporting safety at schools.

Today, Public Health confirms 20 new deaths and 1,887 new cases of COVID-19. The higher number of cases today likely reflects delays in reporting of about 500 positive tests from one or more labs over the past several days.

Of the 20 new deaths reported today, three people who passed away were over the age of 80, five people who died were between the ages of 65 and 79, seven people who died were between the ages of 50 and 64, three people who died were between the ages of 30 and 49, and one person who died was between the ages of 18 and 29. One death was reported by the City of Long Beach.

To date, Public Health has identified 1,489,380 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County and a total of 26,598 deaths. There are 649 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized and 28% of these people are in the ICU. Testing results are available for nearly 9,021,000 individuals with 15% of people testing positive. Today’s test positivity rate is 1.2%.

Unvaccinated people continue to account for most cases and hospitalizations and are still 6 times more likely to get infected and 28 times more likely to be hospitalized than vaccinated people.

"We are deeply saddened by the continued loss of loved ones to the virus and send our wishes for peace and healing to the families and friends of those who have passed,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “Given that there is still considerable transmission, along with the risk that changing conditions favor easier spread of COVID as more activities move indoors and more people travel and gather to celebrate holidays, it remains important for us to maintain additional layers of protection, including masking up indoors and in crowded outdoor spaces. This is also the time -- before the holidays, and before cooler weather leads to a rise in viral transmission -- for unvaccinated people to get their vaccines, and those eligible for boosters, to get their additional dose.”

While we need to do everything necessary to get those not yet vaccinated their first dose, it is also important that many vaccinated people at risk of severe illness from COVID get their booster dose as soon as they are eligible for this additional dose. Boosters serve as ‘reminder’ doses that refresh your immunity to COVID and are needed since studies have shown that the effectiveness of the COVID vaccines diminish a bit over time.

People eligible for boosters include adults of any age who received their first Johnson & Johnson dose at least two months ago, and people who got the second dose of their Pfizer or Moderna vaccines at least six months ago and are 65-plus years old or are over 18 and live in long-term care settings, have underlying medical conditions, or work or live in high-risk settings.

This weekend is Halloween and residents of all ages are looking forward to celebrating the holiday. Fortunately, there are lots of safe ways to have a fun time when celebrating Halloween, including outdoor costume parties, pumpkin patch visits, outdoor ghost tours, hayrides, and trick-or-treating – when done safely. These options are all safer than doing things indoors, like haunted house tours, indoor costume parties, and spooky indoor performances.

When deciding what activities to take part in, it can be helpful to think about what makes an activity safe: the more participants who are vaccinated, the less likely an activity will result in viral transmission. Additionally, being outside adds safety, and you can further reduce risk by masking up when around people outside your household and avoiding crowded situations. Handing out individually packaged treats also makes transmission less likely. Taking a common sense approach to the holiday can limit risks while maximizing fun for everyone.

To find a vaccination site near you, make an appointment at vaccination sites, and much more, visit: www.VaccinateLACounty.com (English) and www.VacunateLosAngeles.com (Spanish). If you don’t have internet access, can’t use a computer, or you’re over 65, you can call 1-833-540-0473 for help finding an appointment, connecting to free transportation to and from a vaccination site, or scheduling a home-visit if you are homebound.

COVID-19 Sector Protocols, Best Practices, COVID-19 Vaccine Dashboard, COVID-19 Surveillance Interactive Dashboard, Recovery Dashboard, and additional actions you can take to protect yourself, your family and your community are on the Public Health website, www.publichealth.lacounty.gov.

Please see additional information below:

Total Cases

Laboratory Confirmed Cases

1489380

-- Los Angeles County (excl. LB and Pas)*

1410808

-- Long Beach

65073

-- Pasadena

13499

Deaths

26598

-- Los Angeles County (excl. LB and Pas)

25198

-- Long Beach

1037

-- Pasadena

363

Age Group (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)

- 0 to 4

37157

- 5 to 11

79281

- 12 to 17

89564

- 18 to 29

334386

- 30 to 49

468451

- 50 to 64

260112

- 65 to 79

103870

- over 80

37147

- Under Investigation

840

Gender (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)

- Female

711114

- Male

667325

- Other

746

- Under Investigation

31623

Race/Ethnicity (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)

- American Indian/Alaska Native

2411

- Asian

67424

- Black

67844

- Hispanic/Latino

727215

- Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander

5201

- White

174483

- Other

119345

- Under Investigation

246885

Hospitalization (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)

- Hospitalized (Ever)

105585

Deaths Race/Ethnicity (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)

- American Indian/Alaska Native

57

- Asian

3294

- Black

2219

- Hispanic/Latino

13388

- Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander

89

- White

5926

- Other

195

- Under Investigation

30

CITY / COMMUNITY**

Cases

Case Rate

City of Agoura Hills

1463

7006

City of Alhambra

8256

9520

City of Arcadia

3392

5873

City of Artesia

2446

14564

City of Avalon

32

827

City of Azusa

7479

14946

City of Baldwin Park

14706

19156

City of Bell

7587

20882

City of Bell Gardens

9106

21142

City of Bellflower

13054

16793

City of Beverly Hills

3653

10582

City of Bradbury

42

3929

City of Burbank

11294

10537

City of Calabasas

1799

7396

City of Carson

12150

12947

City of Cerritos

3786

7562

City of Claremont

2878

7888

City of Commerce*

2710

20736

City of Compton

19716

19735

City of Covina

7736

15777

City of Cudahy

5395

22159

City of Culver City

2949

7397

City of Diamond Bar

4040

7024

City of Downey

20523

17961

City of Duarte

2779

12623

City of El Monte

19165

16343

City of El Segundo

1085

6464

City of Gardena

7893

12874

City of Glendale

24946

12081

City of Glendora

5998

11368

City of Hawaiian Gardens

2581

17587

City of Hawthorne

12716

14322

City of Hermosa Beach

1596

8114

City of Hidden Hills

135

7143

City of Huntington Park

12441

20915

City of Industry

192

43936

City of Inglewood

16863

14847

City of Irwindale

306

20973

City of La Canada Flintridge

1112

5374

City of La Habra Heights

131

2401

City of La Mirada

5417

10922

City of La Puente

7528

18498

City of La Verne

3573

10736

City of Lakewood

9444

11752

City of Lancaster*

28769

17806

City of Lawndale

4303

12801

City of Lomita

1959

9451

City of Lynwood*

15001

20821

City of Malibu

678

5231

City of Manhattan Beach

2106

5850

City of Maywood

5774

20585

City of Monrovia

4036

10402

City of Montebello

11573

17977

City of Monterey Park

5625

9034

City of Norwalk

18616

17298

City of Palmdale

29933

18830

City of Palos Verdes Estates

681

5036

City of Paramount

11442

20424

City of Pico Rivera

12615

19624

City of Pomona

29383

18844

City of Rancho Palos Verdes

2154

5039

City of Redondo Beach

4169

6069

City of Rolling Hills

84

4330

City of Rolling Hills Estates

439

5411

City of Rosemead

5618

10150

City of San Dimas*

4007

11609

City of San Fernando

6023

24472

City of San Gabriel

3692

9015

City of San Marino

475

3578

City of Santa Clarita

27387

12425

City of Santa Fe Springs

3400

18514

City of Santa Monica

6743

7294

City of Sierra Madre

651

5924

City of Signal Hill

1470

12461

City of South El Monte

3856

18463

City of South Gate

21247

21646

City of South Pasadena

1730

6640

City of Temple City

2780

7626

City of Torrance

9803

6567

City of Vernon

141

67464

City of Walnut

2155

7058

City of West Covina

15317

14152

City of West Hollywood

3641

9854

City of Westlake Village

153

1830

City of Whittier

13223

15124

Los Angeles

606910

15005

Los Angeles - Adams-Normandie

1366

16654

Los Angeles - Alsace

1863

14970

Los Angeles - Angeles National Forest

5

12500

Los Angeles - Angelino Heights

348

13909

Los Angeles - Arleta

7914

23026

Los Angeles - Atwater Village

1730

11796

Los Angeles - Baldwin Hills

3622

11637

Los Angeles - Bel Air

569

6751

Los Angeles - Beverly Crest

901

7194

Los Angeles - Beverlywood

1310

9945

Los Angeles - Boyle Heights*

19364

22287

Los Angeles - Brentwood

2163

6988

Los Angeles - Brookside

47

8090

Los Angeles - Cadillac-Corning

872

12245

Los Angeles - Canoga Park

11025

16886

Los Angeles - Carthay

1310

9121

Los Angeles - Central

8414

21579

Los Angeles - Century City

871

6809

Los Angeles - Century Palms/Cove

7280

21560

Los Angeles - Chatsworth

4660

12574

Los Angeles - Cheviot Hills

660

7197

Los Angeles - Chinatown

948

11819

Los Angeles - Cloverdale/Cochran

1953

13420

Los Angeles - Country Club Park

1852

12222

Los Angeles - Crenshaw District

1867

13501

Los Angeles - Crestview

1325

11656

Los Angeles - Del Rey

2695

9003

Los Angeles - Downtown*

5396

19617

Los Angeles - Eagle Rock

4419

11162

Los Angeles - East Hollywood

3804

12989

Los Angeles - Echo Park

1687

11834

Los Angeles - El Sereno

7134

17064

Los Angeles - Elysian Park

657

11502

Los Angeles - Elysian Valley

1493

14679

Los Angeles - Encino

4609

10203

Los Angeles - Exposition

447

13440

Los Angeles - Exposition Park

7282

16212

Los Angeles - Faircrest Heights

375

10417

Los Angeles - Figueroa Park Square

1616

18530

Los Angeles - Florence-Firestone

10568

22274

Los Angeles - Glassell Park

4068

12872

Los Angeles - Gramercy Place

1732

16091

Los Angeles - Granada Hills

8185

14066

Los Angeles - Green Meadows

4551

21163

Los Angeles - Hancock Park

1437

8434

Los Angeles - Harbor City

3237

11135

Los Angeles - Harbor Gateway

5970

13693

Los Angeles - Harbor Pines

224

9298

Los Angeles - Harvard Heights

2879

15963

Los Angeles - Harvard Park

8360

22038

Los Angeles - Highland Park

6708

13862

Los Angeles - Historic Filipinotown

2359

17008

Los Angeles - Hollywood

7724

11317

Los Angeles - Hollywood Hills

2348

7977

Los Angeles - Hyde Park

4696

16454

Los Angeles - Jefferson Park

1354

16772

Los Angeles - Koreatown

6380

12342

Los Angeles - Lafayette Square

634

13907

Los Angeles - Lake Balboa

6558

15538

Los Angeles - Lakeview Terrace

2670

20330

Los Angeles - Leimert Park

2075

13620

Los Angeles - Lincoln Heights

5812

17830

Los Angeles - Little Armenia

1337

16660

Los Angeles - Little Bangladesh

3247

11456

Los Angeles - Little Tokyo

491

15672

Los Angeles - Longwood

682

15846

Los Angeles - Los Feliz

1532

7090

Los Angeles - Manchester Square

1262

14784

Los Angeles - Mandeville Canyon

204

6530

Los Angeles - Mar Vista

2924

6885

Los Angeles - Marina Peninsula

238

5459

Los Angeles - Melrose

10129

13037

Los Angeles - Mid-city

1527

10160

Los Angeles - Miracle Mile

1448

8051

Los Angeles - Mission Hills

5077

21045

Los Angeles - Mt. Washington

3303

13680

Los Angeles - North Hills

10855

17629

Los Angeles - North Hollywood

25231

16663

Los Angeles - Northridge

9374

13430

Los Angeles - Pacific Palisades

1175

5519

Los Angeles - Pacoima

19290

25059

Los Angeles - Palisades Highlands

211

5486

Los Angeles - Palms

3468

7904

Los Angeles - Panorama City

15277

20302

Los Angeles - Park La Brea

907

6679

Los Angeles - Pico-Union

7874

18818

Los Angeles - Playa Del Rey

184

5757

Los Angeles - Playa Vista

872

7966

Los Angeles - Porter Ranch

3339

9382

Los Angeles - Rancho Park

521

7942

Los Angeles - Regent Square

327

11763

Los Angeles - Reseda

13619

17775

Los Angeles - Reseda Ranch

826

17817

Los Angeles - Reynier Village

344

8136

Los Angeles - San Pedro*

9477

12144

Los Angeles - Shadow Hills

513

11549

Los Angeles - Sherman Oaks

8267

9475

Los Angeles - Silverlake

4237

9611

Los Angeles - South Carthay





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