For Immediate Release:

October 28, 2021

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 #####