COVID-19 News: LA County Reports Additional Case of the Omicron Variant and Public Health Encourages Children’s Vaccination Ahead of Holidays

With Unvaccinated 12-17 Year Old’s Nine Times More Likely to Get COVID-19 than their Vaccinated Peer’s, Parents Encouraged to Vaccinate Their Children Ahead of the Holidays

As residents prepare to gather for holidays, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health or Public Health encourages parents to protect their children and prevent the transmission of COVID-19 by getting everyone in their family who is eligible vaccinated or boosted.

COVID-19 is now one of the top 10 causes of death among children nationwide. The COVID-19 vaccine is the best way to protect your child from getting sick, being hospitalized, or developing long-term symptoms. Most importantly, vaccinating your child also helps protect family members, including siblings who are not eligible for vaccination and those who may be at high risk for getting very sick if infected. 

In L.A. County, COVID-19 cases among school-aged children decreased by 30% between late September and late November. Over a two-week interval at the end of November, unvaccinated 12-17-year old’s were nine times more likely to be infected than those who had been vaccinated. During this same interval, two children aged 5 to 11 and eight children aged 12 to 17 were hospitalized, all of them unvaccinated. There were 6 confirmed MIS-C cases in L.A. County in October 2021 and 4 confirmed cases in November 2021. Pediatric trends mirror adult trends: over the same interval, unvaccinated L.A. County residents over 18 were infected and hospitalized at rates 3 and 14 times higher than vaccinated adults, respectively. 

Public Health continues to see very low numbers of school cases given the 1.55 million students enrolled countywide. During the week ending Dec. 4, 1,311 cases and 3 outbreaks were identified, and test positivity was 0.28%. 

If you’d like to get your child vaccinated, please check  www.VaccinateLACounty.com (English) or www.VacunateLosAngeles.com (Spanish) to find a site near you, you can also check with your child’s healthcare provider to find out if they offer COVID vaccines.

Public Health would like to remind residents that getting vaccinated or boosted remains critical as holiday traveling and gatherings begin. 

Additionally, all residents across LA County should continue: 

• Getting tested to help reduce the spread, especially if you traveled for the holidays, have had a possible exposure or have symptoms
• Adhering to masking requirements when indoors or at large outdoor mega events, regardless of vaccination status

LA County Reports Additional Case of the Omicron Variant, Possibly Through Local Transmission

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health or Public Health has received confirmation of a fourth case of COVID-19 with mutations consistent with the new Omicron variant. This latest case is a possible result of local transmission.

The individual is fully vaccinated and received a booster. The individual had mild symptoms and had multiple close contacts who have since tested positive and are self-isolating. Several of the close contacts are fully vaccinated, while the vaccination status of some is still being determined.

Public Health is working to determine if these additional cases are of the Omicron variant. 

“The identification of a case of Omicron attributed to community spread is a reminder that we all need to take necessary precautions to prevent transmission of COVID-19,” Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “Celebrating with those we love this holiday season requires layering on the protections that are now available to us: vaccinations, boosters, masking up, and testing. This is how we slow the spread of Delta and Omicron.”

Public Health would like to remind residents that getting vaccinated or boosted remains critical as holiday traveling and gatherings begin.

Additionally, all residents across LA County should continue:

Getting tested to help reduce the spread, especially if you traveled for the holidays, have had a possible exposure or have symptoms

Adhering to masking requirements when indoors or at large outdoor mega events, regardless of vaccination status

Residents are also reminded that they are legally required to be isolated if they have a positive COVID test result and that vaccinated close contacts with symptoms and unvaccinated close contacts need to be quarantined.