Huntington Hospital Doctor Calls on Locals to Stay the Course in Battle Against COVID-19

Huntington Hospital’s infectious disease expert called on the community to remain vigilant and stick to healthcare guidelines in the fight against COVID-19.

“As vaccinations continue in our community, our country, and yes, the entire world, we are all hopeful that this enormous effort will allow us to return to a more normal life,” said Dr. Kimberly Shriner.  

“Scientists are confident that the current vaccines are highly effective and safe and will be our way out. We also recognize that until we get a very large portion of the population vaccinated, the virus will continue to spread and that increases the risk of mutations,” Shriner said.

On Monday. Gov. Gavin Newsom lifted his Stay-At-Home Order, allowing local businesses to partially reopen and restaurants to resume outdoor dining. 

Meanwhile, city officials are preparing to adopt new state guidance that will focus on age-based vaccinations. 

The county is currently vaccinating healthcare workers and residents 65 and older, who were made eligible based on recent federal and state guidance.

Beginning in mid-February, eligibility will expand to include education and childcare, emergency services, and food and agricultural workers.

After that, at some point vaccinations will be based on age groups. 

On Thursday, teachers in the Pasadena Unified School District began receiving vaccines. 

“Currently, most scientists believe that the available vaccines will cover the new variants that are emerging,” Shriner said. “It is likely that the current vaccines will keep an individual from becoming sick with COVID, but we still don’t know if a vaccinated person can transmit the virus, especially these more infectious mutant viruses.

“For that reason,” she said, “now more than ever it is important to keep our guard up; to be vigilant about mask-wearing, avoiding crowds, keeping gatherings very small, practicing good hand hygiene and protecting our most vulnerable populations.”

The state is building out a network to more efficiently deliver vaccines to all the entities licensed to vaccinate residents, including public healthcare systems, pharmacies, public hospitals, community health centers, pharmacies, and pop-up and mobile sites.

“We are fortunate to live in 2021 because we have incredible science and technology at our fingertips,” Shriner said.  “But, as we have seen over the last year, this is a challenging virus and so we must utilize ALL our means of protection to get over this pandemic.”