Only about a fifth of eligible San Francisco seniors received a COVID-19 booster injection

The San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) announced this week that only 23,000 San Franciscans aged 65 or older – about 20% of the city’s total eligible senior population – received their injection of COVID-19 reminder before the holiday season.

Booster shots for COVID-19 vaccines – or rather “extra doses” – became available earlier this summer, initially starting with people with serious underlying health conditions and people over 65. But as the data shows that the vaccine’s effectiveness begins to wane about six months after a vaccine is given, booster shots become increasingly important. And with the holiday season approaching, this importance cannot be stressed enough.

“It has been such a difficult year for many of us, and we want this holiday season to be full of joy and togetherness,” said Dr. Naveena Bobba, Deputy Director of Health for SFDPH. “Those of us at higher risk – including the elderly – can easily get a COVID-19 booster to boost our immunity and stay healthy. Boosters are now available regardless of the vaccine you received initially: Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson. And of course, if you are not vaccinated, we cannot stress enough that it is imperative that you get vaccinated immediately. “

However, recent data from SFDPH shows that only a fifth of all eligible seniors in San Francisco have received a COVID-19 booster. More concerning: People over 65 and older were among the first to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, making their immunity less effective against the disease than those who more recently received their COVID-19 vaccines.

“Not only do our seniors suffer from waning immunity because they were among the first to be vaccinated almost a year ago, but they are also often at higher risk due to medical conditions and co-morbidities. underlying, ”Bobba added in a statement. SFDPH press release. “That is why we are urging seniors to get their reminders as soon as possible.”

By the Chronicle, of the 52,000 COVID-19 booster injections that the City had distributed as of November 1, less than half were administered to people 65 years of age and over. Immunizing the elderly usually requires additional efforts from health care providers and clinics; older people are more likely to be homebound than younger populations; older people may also find it difficult to navigate online immunization appointments on computers, smartphones and tablets.

Granted: There could also be a level of complacency at play regarding booster shots, given how successful San Francisco has been in rolling out vaccines. But this may be more relevant to the younger generations who are eligible for the extra doses – and might not even know it.

The Chronicle noted that several local community organizations are working to help more older people get reminders, helping them overall with digital access issues. The Latino Task Force (LTF) – a nonprofit organization that has been working to immunize the Latino population of San Francisco since these doses became available to the general public – is one such group. Valerie Tulier-Laiwa, an LTF task coordinator, told the newspaper that she saw the group’s efforts were “very successful” in reaching older people in the Latin American community; the group has had particular success using mobile vaccination clinics that can reach homebound residents.

At the time of publication, there have been 16 deaths of fully vaccinated people due to complications from COVID-19 in San Francisco – the vast majority of those deaths occurring in people with underlying health conditions. COVID-19 boosters, which the FDA recommends taking as soon as you become eligible to receive one, are now available at nearly 100 vaccination sites in SF, most of which allow walk-in visits; it is not necessary to do an online vaccination beforehand.

For more information on COVID-19 vaccines, as well as how to get one in the city and county of San Francisco, visit sf.gov/get-vaccinated-against-covid-19.

Related: Dr. Grant Colfax doesn’t want you to call the new supplemental mRNA vaccine program a ‘booster’

Image: Getty Images / Ridofranz