A California State University student receives a COVID-19 vaccination. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson
San Diego County public health officials Thursday reminded county residents that another COVID-19 vaccine is available in the protein-based Novavax shot.
San Diegans can get Novavax at local health care providers, retail pharmacies and community clinics, as well as county public health centers and community vaccination events, according to a statement from the Health and Human Services Agency read.
While the Novavax vaccine is not showing up as available in some online appointment systems, all county locations have it in stock for anyone who asks, regardless of which vaccine was selected during scheduling.
“Novavax is another vaccine option we have to slow the spread of COVID-19,” said Dr. Wilma J. Wooten, county public health officer. “It represents a new choice for the prevention of serious complications from COVID.”
Novavax is only available to people who have not received any other COVID-19 vaccines. It is not yet authorized as a booster shot for people who have previously been vaccinated with doses of Pfizer, Moderna or Janssen.
It has been authorized as a two-dose primary series, given three to eight weeks apart, to people ages 18 and older. Clinical trials showed that the vaccine series is 90% effective at preventing mild, moderate and severe COVID-19.
Meanwhile, the number of patients in San Diego County hospitalized with COVID-19 dropped by nine to 301, according to the latest state data, part of a downward trend since a summer peak of 463 on July 21.
The number of those patients hospitalized as of Thursday who were in intensive care increased by one to 36 and the number of available hospital beds increased by four to 260.
The county reported 859 new infections and six additional deaths linked to the virus in its most recent data, increasing the county’s cumulative counts to 903,885 cases and 5,448 deaths since the pandemic began.
A total of 5,285 cases were reported in the past week compared to 7,045 infections identified the previous week.
The county updates case data on Mondays and Thursdays.
– City News Service