County calls on residents to vaccinate as COVID delta mutants grow

Photo courtesy Matt Hoffman

Above: A woman who received the COVID-19 vaccine from CalFire, Julian, California, February 3, 2021.

San Diego County officials quoted data that found that the majority of COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths since March 1 occurred in unvaccinated people, and San Diego has not yet received a jab. I appealed to people to do so as soon as possible.

Since early March, 95% of all cases, 98% of all hospitalizations, and 96% of deaths have been associated with people who have not yet been completely infected with the virus, according to county data.

Dr. Hans Crumpler, a doctor at Sharp Grossmont Hospital in La Mesa, urged people skeptical of Shot to get more information from medical professionals.

“If you have any questions or questions, please come to the provider. We are there to educate you,” he said. “Get the vaccine as soon as possible. It has side effects, but it’s much better than getting the virus.”

Crumpler was infected with COVID-19 and said that body pain, intermittent chills and fever were “beyond the explanation.” He also said that the side effects of vaccination are rare (most often pain and rash) and pale compared to the effects of COVID-19.

Related: Tracking COVID-19 in San Diego County

The message was urgent because the delta variant of COVID-19 appears to be the next major strain to pass through the unvaccinated population. Dr. Eric McDonald, Chief Medical Officer, San Diego County, said a single shot of the two-dose Pfizer or Moderna vaccine was less effective against the delta mutant than the previous strain. He urged more than 140,000 San Diegans who had not taken a second dose to accomplish that.

“Ideally I want to get it on time, but even if it’s a month, two, or four months, it’s still more effective,” he said. “The first shot is not enough for the delta variant.”

The recommended dosing interval is 3 weeks for the Pfizer vaccine and 4 weeks for the Modana vaccine. Regardless of how long ago a person received his first injection, it is advisable to complete a complete two-dose series of vaccines.

“A single dose of these vaccines is only 33% effective against the more contagious delta variant of COVID-19, making it the most prevalent virus strain in the United States and in the region. It can be more prevalent, “said Denise Foster, County Chief Nursing Officer and COVID-19 Clinical Director. “Sandigan, whose second shot is delayed, needs to take action as soon as possible to reduce the risk of getting infected with the virus.”

Nathan Fletcher, chair of the McDonald’s and San Diego County Supervisory Board, said that thanks to UC San Diego Health, Scripps, and other large medical research institutes, San Diego has sequenced a positive COVID-19 test into a delta variant. He commented that he was in a unique position to determine if it was.

Fletcher said 49 of the 54 delta cases reported were unvaccinated.

Everyone over the age of 12 is eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine free of charge. Visit coronavirus-SD.com / vaccine for a complete list of vaccination locations in the county.

“The data show that we have known for a long time. The COVID-19 vaccine is very effective in preventing serious illness and death,” said HHSA’s Epidemiology and Immunization Services Department of Healthcare. Dr. Seema Shah, director, said.

A total of 1,219 COVID-19 deaths have been reported in the area since January 1, but only three were fully vaccinated in the county.

As of Thursday, the county’s cumulative number of cases increased by 200 to 283,576, but one death was reported, for a total increase to 3,783.

The San Diego County case rate is 2.5 cases per 100,000 inhabitants as of this week’s data.

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