Title
Receive an updated response to Board Referral No. 2021.30 which directs the Health Department to partner with the K through 12 school system to increase the rate of vaccination among residents aged 5 to 11 years in communities disproportionately affected by COVID-19.
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Board of Supervisors:
Receive an updated response to Board Referral No. 2021.30 which directs the Health Department to partner with the K through 12 school system to increase the rate of vaccination among residents aged 5 to 11 years in communities disproportionately affected by COVID-19.
SUMMARY:
This response provides an update to the Health Department's Preliminary Analysis Report in response to Board Referral No. 2021.30 (Attachment A), which was provided to the Board on January 11, 2022 (see Attachment B) and the subsequent response provided to the Board on June 21, 2022 (see Attachment C).
Immunization remains one of the most important strategies available to prevent serious illnesses, hospitalizations, and deaths due to COVID-19. COVID-19 vaccine eligibility for children has gradually expanded during the pandemic. Children 16 and 17 years of age have been eligible for COVID-19 vaccination since December 11, 2020; children 12 to 15 years of age have been eligible since May 10, 2021; and children 5 to 11 years of age have been eligible for COVID-19 vaccination since November 2, 2021. Children less than 5 years of age have been eligible for COVID-19 vaccinations since June 18, 2022.
Immunizing the approximately 78,000 children between 5 and 17 years of age living in Monterey County who are eligible for COVID-19 has been a community-wide effort. The Health Department continues to collaborate with a variety of stakeholders including schools, community-based organizations, faith-based organizations, pharmacies, city governments, hospitals, and health care clinics to increase COVID-19 vaccination rates. As of September 29, 2022, th...
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