Weekly Roundup for June 24, 2022

The final population group is now eligible to receive free COVID-19 vaccinations. Sonoma County this week began vaccinating children aged 6 months to 4 years old after federal regulators approved the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.

As case rates remain high, Sonoma County continues to offer vaccines to everyone 6 months and older through the fixed site in Roseland, primary healthcare providers, health centers and pharmacies. The unvaccinated are 2.7 more times likely to get COVID, 15.2 times more likely to end up in the hospital with COVID, and 13.5 times more likely to die from COVID.

Visit the County of Sonoma’s COVID-19 Data and Statistics hub for more information:
https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/1edbb41952a8417385652279305e878d/page/home/

Vaccinations for under 5 begin in Sonoma County

With federal and state regulators having now approved the use of COVID-19 vaccines for children ages 6 months to 4 years old, Sonoma County began vaccinating the roughly 21,000 children in this age range through primary care providers and health centers this week.

Parents who have health care coverage are encouraged to reach out to their primary care provider to find a vaccination appointment for their children as soon as possible. Vaccinations for those ages 6 months and up are also available at the county’s fixed vaccination clinic at the Roseland Community Center, 779 Sebastopol Road, in Santa Rosa.

Appointments for pediatric vaccinations also can be made on myturn.ca.org.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on June 17 authorized the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for children aged 6 months to 4 years old, and the Moderna vaccine for children aged 6 months to 5 years old. On June 18, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cleared that age group to get vaccinated and the Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup followed suit.

In its initial allocation of vaccine for the youngest children, Sonoma County received roughly 1,600 doses of Pfizer and 1,600 doses of Moderna. The Pfizer vaccine is administered in two shots three weeks apart followed by a third at least two months later, each one-tenth the dose given to adults. Moderna’s vaccine, a two-shot series given four weeks apart, is a quarter of its adult dose.

The county Department of Health Services is working with primary care providers and federally qualified health centers to provide free vaccinations to children.

More information is available through the county’s vaccine clinic page or through the myturn.ca.gov website.

Vaccine distribution

Milestones: As of today, 1,106,411 doses have been administered to Sonoma County residents.

Residents fully vaccinated: 387,744 - equal to 82.4 percent of the county’s eligible population. 

Residents partially vaccinated: 29,219 - equal to 6.3 percent of the county’s eligible population.

Residents who have received boosters: 245,615 - equal to 64.9 percent of the county’s eligible population.

Current Sonoma County metrics:

• Our rate of new daily cases per 100,000 population is 35.8.
• Our case rate for unvaccinated individuals is 56.2 per 100,000 compared with 32.2 for vaccinated residents. 
• Our overall testing positivity rate is 14 percent. 
• Our equity metric testing positivity rate is 15.6 percent.

Local hospitalizations and deaths

• There were 35 COVID-related hospitalizations in the county as of Monday. Four of those COVID patients were in the ICU. 
• There have been a total of 496 COVID-related deaths reported here since the start of the pandemic.

Other U.S. developments and trends

• Daily U.S. cases are averaging 96,218 down 15 percent in two weeks, according to a New York Times database.
• COVID deaths are down 11 percent in the past two weeks to 289 a day. The United States has recorded 1,010,552 COVID-19 deaths.
• Americans can request eight free rapid tests. Order at covidtests.gov. Each household is limited to four free tests. 
• You can obtain a digital copy of your California vaccine record at my vaccine record.cdph.ca.gov.

Local vaccination availability

The County and its health partners are collaborating to make vaccines available when and where they are most needed. The county’s vaccination calendar is continually updated. Residents who need help making an appointment can call the hotline at (707) 565-4667 in English and Spanish.

Testing updates, including local antigen rapid test sites

The county is averaging about 1,509 tests a day. That doesn’t include all the at-home rapid tests being used. Appointments are still recommended but more testing sites now can accommodate walk-ins. 

The county’s testing page includes a map to help find a site. Use the county’s pop-up testing calendar to make an appointment. Residents can call the county hotline at (707) 565-4667 (4701 in Spanish) for help making an appointment.

Self-administered rapid tests are available over the counter and online, including four free at-home tests from the federal government. The county urges anyone using an at-home antigen test to report the result to county health by using this online form.

Resources and useful links

• Free COVID-19 testing is available for tribal communities at Sonoma County Indian Health Project. Call (707) 521-4500 for details.
• Listos California offers disaster preparedness information in indigenous languages at its Farmworkers Initiative webpage.

Other County of Sonoma News

• County of Sonoma, labor groups reach agreement on law enforcement oversight measures
  https://sonomacounty.ca.gov/county-of-sonoma-labor-groups-reach-agreement-on-law-enforcement-oversight-measures
• Bay Area health officials urge awareness about monkeypox as summer travel and gatherings begin
  https://sonomacounty.ca.gov/bay-area-health-officials-urge-awareness-about-monkeypox-as-summer-travel-and-gatherings-begin
• Board of Supervisors adopts Fiscal Year 2022-23 budget 
  https://sonomacounty.ca.gov/board-of-supervisors-adopts-fiscal-year-2022-23-budget

Emergency Preparedness Tips and Resources

• As we continue into fire season, make sure you know your official evacuation zone. Click on the link for County of Sonoma here:
  https://socoemergency.org/get-ready/evacuation-map/
• Reminder to prevent equipment sparked fires due to lawn mowing, trailer chains, or driving on dry grass or brush, or with low tire pressure. For additional CAL FIRE information on equipment safety, please visit: https://www.readyforwildfire.org/prevent-wildfire/equipment-use/.
• Hot weather is here and everyone is at risk for heat-related illness. Stay hydrated, limit your time outdoors, and check in on those who are susceptible to heat-related illness. Here are some tips to stay cool and preparing for a heatwave:
  https://socoemergency.org/get-ready/local-hazards/heat-advisories/
• Defensible space is essential to improve your home’s chance of surviving a wildfire. It’s the buffer you create between a building on your property and the grass, trees, shrubs, or any wildland area that surround it. Learn how to build defensible space around your home: https://www.readyforwildfire.org/prepare-for-wildfire/get-ready/defensible-space/
• The County of Sonoma strongly recommends subscribing to the following alert and warning systems:
  • SoCoAlert – Upon signing up for SoCoAlert, select to receive alerts through landline calls, cell phone text messages or pre-recorded verbal messages and email. The system also works with telephone devices for the deaf.
  • Nixle – Receive email and text messages from local fire and law enforcement agencies that include public safety messages as well as emergency information. Text your zip code to 888777 to opt-in or sign up online to receive email, text or voice messages with alerts and advisories.
  • Stay informed, sign up for alerts at https://socoemergency.org/receive-alerts/.