LA County Supervisor Urges Public Health to Open COVID-19 Vaccine Programs to Older Residents – CBS Los Angeles

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LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) – Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors President Hilda L. Solis signed an executive order Monday directing LA County Department of Public Health to make COVID-19 vaccine appointments available to 65-year-old residents and over starting Thursday.

“In the past few weeks, Los Angeles County has administered the vaccine to front-line health workers so they can stay safe while doing important life-saving work, as well as residents and staff in skilled health care facilities. and long-term care facilities, ”Solis said in an email. “The launch of the COVID-19 vaccine has been a huge undertaking, especially during an unprecedented increase in cases, hospitalizations and deaths.

“However, if we ever want to get out of this dark winter, it is essential to vaccinate people aged 65 and over as soon as possible – in line with the recommendations of Governor Gavin Newsom,” the statement continued.

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Solis said he had given the health department until Thursday to start programming by the age of 65 and over by Thursday so that he could “properly prepare for the launch.”

A few hours earlier, Dr. Jeffrey Gunzenhauser, the county chief physician, said the county was not yet at a time to move on with vaccinated seniors.

“If we see by the end of the week that the growth rate of health workers is falling, suggesting that we need to move to what is called Phase 1B, especially level 1 for the elderly, we will make this call fairly quickly,” he said. said.

The move comes as Cedars-Sinai researchers announced that a new local strain, designated Cal.20C, could contribute to the growth and was found in more than a third of COVID-19 cases in Los Angeles.

Gunzenhauser said the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health was looking into this and a number of other changes – including one first detected in the United Kingdom.

“We are concerned that if this happens, you know, it comes to the surface and causes a lot of transmission, we could see a big wave in February or March,” he said.

Public Health has not yet released a statement regarding the executive order, which can be viewed online, but previously said it was delaying the launch of older residents claiming a lack of vaccines because it worked to receive inoculation of health workers and of front-line employees.

The department will host a virtual town hall with COVID-19 vaccine on Wednesday.

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