Austin health officials urge people to receive booster shots ahead of winter break as omicron spreads

Austin health officials urge those eligible to receive booster shots as the holidays approach and the omicron variant continues to spread in the United States

Experts are worried about how quickly this new variant may spread, but more data is needed to find out what impact it will have on the United States and whether omicron causes more serious disease than other variants. The new variant has been detected in Harris County but not yet in Austin. Local health leaders, however, say it’s probably here, too.

“It’s a very big possibility that we do [have it] and it’s probably spreading, ”Austin Public Health chief epidemiologist Janet Pichette said at a press conference Friday.

Pichette said if Austin residents tested positive for COVID-19, the test won’t tell them if they have the omicron variant; which requires genetic sequencing. She said the APH is working with hospitals and labs to detect variants and that almost all cases in Austin are currently caused by the delta.

Whichever variant spreads, health officials say the ways to prevent infection are the same as before.

“The prevention methods we… use every day and the recommendations we make to you every day are still the same and will always help you avoid contracting the disease,” said Pichette. “And that’s wearing a mask; wash one’s hands; to get vaccinated; if you are sick, stay home; go ahead and get your booster shot.

Health officials are also urging people who plan to travel during the holidays to test for COVID-19 before they leave and upon their return. If they are positive, they should isolate themselves from others and contact their health care provider to see if they are eligible for treatment.

The rate of transmission of COVD-19 has increased in Austin and Travis County, according to health authority Dr. Desmar Walkes. To avoid a further increase in cases, she said it was important for people to get vaccinated and for those who are fully vaccinated to be given a booster.

Walkes said COVID-19 vaccines protect people against serious illness, hospitalizations and death from the delta variant. Early indications, she said, show that the vaccines also protect against the omicron variant.

“The importance of [getting a] the reminder right now is that it will help improve that protection, so it’s important for us to use the vaccine we currently have to protect ourselves now as we prepare for a possible increase in cases, ”Walkes said .

This week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention extended eligibility for Pfizer-BioNTech booster shots for people 16 and 17 years of age. Those who received the last dose of Pfizer vaccine six months or more ago can now receive a booster. All people 18 and over were already eligible for boosters.

People can get a recall at drug stores and doctor’s offices around Austin. (Find one near you via Vaccines.gov.) APH also offers sound boosters walk-in clinics in Travis County. Cassandra DeLeon, APH’s director of administration for disease prevention and health promotion, said the Department of Health has seen an increase in the number of people receiving booster shots. Increased demand can mean longer queues. To speed up the process, DeLeon said people can do a appointment with APH online.

Even after receiving a recall, health officials urge, people should continue to wear masks in indoor public spaces. Austin-Travis County remains in Step 3 risk-based guidelines for APH, meaning that vaccinated people should always mask themselves indoors and when traveling. Unvaccinated people should mask themselves at indoor and outdoor gatherings, when traveling, eating and shopping.

“Please wear your mask,” Walkes said. “A mask is an additional layer of protection. This will protect you from getting sick with COVID-19. If you happen to be an asymptomatic carrier of COVID-19, you will protect someone you may come into contact with who is not vaccinated or who is at risk of having a severe case of COVID-19. “

Travis County has a higher vaccination rate than many other areas in Texas. About 69% of people aged 5 and over are fully vaccinated in the county. In Texas as a whole, about 60% of people 5 years of age and older have been fully immunized.