Federal Panel Recommends COVID-19 Booster Shots for Seniors, Pasadena Health Officials Await Further Guidance

A federal advisory panel recommended the administration of Pfizer booster shots to senior citizens and those in high-risk categories on Friday, but health officials in Pasadena were awaiting further guidance before giving the booster shots.

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices approved Pfizer booster shots for those 65 and older and those in high-risk categories later in the afternoon, the Associated Press reported. At the same time, the panel voted against recommending booster shots for all.

A determination was pending regarding booster shots with the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson forumulations.

The Pasadena Public Health Department, along with the L.A. County Department of Public Health, previously approved third doses of both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccinations for people with compromised immune systems, following an Emergency Use Authorization of the vaccines for that purpose by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration last month.

The PPHD will not immediately begin administering booster shots to seniors, pending further recommendations and clinical guidance from the CDC, as well as review by the Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup, city spokeswoman Lisa Derderian said.

County officials were making preparations to be able to begin rollout of vaccine booster shots, in anticipation that they may be approved by federal officials for some population groups at any time, L.A. County Barbara Ferrer said shortly before the announcement of ACIP’s decision had been made. It was not clear when the availability of booster shots for senior citizens would begin.

The PPHD reported a dozen new COVID-19 infections in Pasadena on Friday, but no new deaths.

The new cases raised the city’s pandemic total to 12,030, according to Pasadena Public Health Department data. The number of deaths recorded remained unchanged at 359.

Over the prior week, officials reported an average of 14.7 new cases of the virus were detected in Pasadena each day.

The L.A. County Department of Public Health documented 1,821 new COVID-19 cases and 25 deaths on Friday, which brought the county’s totals to 1,440,721 infections and 25,799 fatalities.

Just under 1,160 patients were hospitalized with the virus across the county, Ferrer said.

Friday’s county-wide daily test positivity rate was measured at 1.63%.

According to the latest data, 58% of L.A. County’s total population had received at least one dose of vaccine, while another 7% were partially vaccinated, Ferrer said.

A new county Health Officer Order became official on Friday, requiring proof of full vaccination for both patrons and employees of bars, breweries, wineries, night clubs and lounges November 4. Proof of at least one dose will be required by Oct. 7.

The order does not require vaccine verification at restaurants, but it is still “strongly recommended,” Ferrer said.

The new regulations would also require proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test result within 72 hours for attendees of outdoor so-called “mega events,” described as gatherings involving more than 10,000 people.

The policy does not affect Pasadena, which has its own municipal public health department. The Pasadena Public Health Department had yet to decide whether a similar order would be issued locally.

“This modifier health officer order aligns with the continued need to reduce the risk for transmission and increase vaccination coverage and it offers us a reasonable path forward that hopefully positions us to be better able to break the cycle of surges,” Ferrer said.

“These are our highest-risk settings. We need to focus on getting transmission down,” she said.

“There’s no way we want to go into the late fall and winter with high rates of transmission,” Ferrer warned. “We have seen the seasonality of this virus in the past, and we cannot afford, in this county, another surge like we saw last year.”

Across the state, authorities reported 9,543 new infections and 171 deaths on Friday, bringing the pandemic totals to 4,397,469 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 67,543 fatalities.

The statewide weekly positivity rate increased slightly to 3.5%, according to California Department of Public Health data.

As of Friday, L.A. County represented 33% of California’s COVID-19 infections and 38% of the state’s associated deaths.