The new COVID-19 vaccine is now available locally at chain pharmacies. Health care giant Kaiser has supplies, while community health clinics are expected to get their first doses by the end of this week.|
The new updated COVID-19 vaccine is now available in the North Bay at chain pharmacies Walgreens and CVS, and will soon be available to Kaiser Permanente members, as well as patients of local community health centers.
Sonoma County Health Officer Dr. Tanya Phares said three updated 2024-25 COVID-19 vaccines, recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration, are now available. These include vaccines by Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and Novavax, she said.
“All three vaccines provide protection against recent COVID strains,” Phares said in an email. “It’s recommended that everyone 6 months and older get the updated vaccine.”
Phares said the vaccine is especially important for those over 65 or at higher risk of severe disease.The Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna doses are approved for those 6 months and older, while the Novavax vaccine is approved for age 12 and older, she added.
“Retail pharmacies have started scheduling appointments,” Phares said.
Public health officials recommend residents protect themselves for the coming respiratory virus season by also getting vaccinated against influenza and other respiratory viruses.
The recent wave of cases are being fueled by new FLiRT subvariants. The new updated vaccine should provide protection against severe illness caused by these subvariants.
Dr. Jessica August, a Kaiser Permanente infectious disease expert, said the provider will officially launch its COVID-19 vaccination clinics on Monday. August said the vaccine comes at a crucial time of heightened COVID transmission.
“We have had quite a summer wave,” she said. “We have had a wave that somewhat mirrors levels that we have seen over winter. It’s a very high spike over the summer and late summer that we’re still seeing now.”
August said that infections are for the most part being treated on an outpatient basis. In most cases, the level of the illness has not been severe enough to require hospitalization, she said.
“Many patients have told me this most recent variant has really been difficult and they were very symptomatic with it, even though they didn't need to come into the hospital,” she said.
August said the likely reason for this is waning immunity in the general population. In Sonoma County, slightly less than 24% of residents are up-to-date with their COVID-19 vaccinations, according to the latest county public health data.
August said the new updated vaccine should reduce the level of severe symptoms caused by SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 illness.
“What potentially has happened is over the last season or so, immunity has waned and our protection is less,” August said.
She said the latest vaccine should boost the community’s overall immunity.
Updated vaccine supplies have yet to reach Sonoma County’s robust network of local community health centers, which primarily serve low-income and underinsured residents.
Pedro Toledo, CEO of Petaluma Health Center, said his organization is expected to receive supplies by the end of the week. “It’s really important to get the updated vaccines,” he said.
Santa Rosa Community Health, the county’s largest consortium of health centers, said on Wednesday the new vaccines are still not available to order.
“We have not received any updates when they will be released to purchase,” said Annemarie Brown, a spokeswoman for Santa Rosa Community Health.
The vaccines became available at local CVS pharmacies nationwide last week, said Amy Thibault, a CVS spokeswoman. CVS currently has the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines available and the Novavax vaccine will begin arriving at the end of this week, she added.
Vaccination appointments can be scheduled through a CVS digital scheduling tool, and appointments are available at CVS pharmacies, including locations inside Target and MinuteClinic, seven days a week, including during evenings and weekends.
MinuteClinic also offers sick-symptom visits where patients can be tested for flu, COVID-19 and strep throat, if eligible. Appointments can be scheduled at MinuteClinic. Some CVS Pharmacy locations also offer flu and COVID-19 testing.
The vaccine also is available at local Walgreens and Rite Aid pharmacies, and appointments can be scheduled online. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a “vaccine locator“ that shows various locations where people can get the vaccine.
You can reach Staff Writer Martin Espinoza at 707-521-5213 or martin.espinoza@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @pressreno.
