9% Of LA County 5-11-Year-Olds Have Gotten The COVID-19 Shot

LOS ANGELES, CA — Roughly two weeks since the Food and Drug Administration gave emergency authorization for 5 to 11-year-olds to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, more than 8.7 percent of Los Angeles County children in that age group have already received their first shot, according to the California Department of Public Health.

That's lower than the state average of 9.3 percent and the national average of nearly 10 percent. The Biden administration on Wednesday hailed the speed at which parents are getting the vaccination for their children.

“Just 10 days into our program being in full strength, we’re at 10 percent of kids,” Jeff Zients, President Joe Biden’s coronavirus response coordinator, told the New York Times. “For perspective, it took about 50 days for us to reach 10 percent of adults with one shot."

The progress is part of a broader effort to get as many people vaccinated as possible going into the holidays. With the county urging residents to get COVID-19 vaccine booster shots, health officials said Wednesday skilled nursing facilities have nearly completed administration of boosters to residents.

According to the county Department of Public Health, 97% of skilled nursing homes have reported that they will finish administration of booster shots to residents by Friday. County officials said they are working with the remaining facilities to ensure residents have access to the shots.

"I am grateful that nearly all skilled nursing facilities in the county will complete administering COVID-19 boosters to their eligible residents this week," county Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said in a statement. "We know from experience that nursing home residents are among our most vulnerable people disproportionately affected by COVID-19. Lives are saved by protecting those at elevated risk with vaccines and boosters, maintaining straightforward safety measures and increasing vaccination coverage countywide."

According to the county, 96% of skilled nursing facility staffers and 89% of residents are fully vaccinated. All staff are required to be vaccinated, but those with approved exemptions must be tested weekly.

The county reported another 22 COVID-19 deaths on Wednesday, raising the overall death toll to 26,923.

Another 1,284 cases were also reported, giving the county a cumulative total from throughout the pandemic of 1,514,282.

According to state figures, there were 616 COVID-positive patients being treated in county hospitals as of Wednesday, down from 640 on Tuesday. Of those hospitalized, 155 were in intensive care, down from 162.

The daily rolling average rate of people testing positive for the virus was 1.2% as of Wednesday, a number that has generally held steady.

As of last week, 81% of county residents aged 12 and over have received at least one dose of COVID vaccine, and 73% are fully vaccinated. Of the county's overall 10.3 million population, 70% have received at least one dose, and 63% are fully vaccinated.

Of the more than 5.9 million fully vaccinated people in the county, 72,163 have subsequently tested positive, for a rate of 1.22%, according to the county. A total of 2,424 vaccinated people have been hospitalized, for a rate of 0.041%, and 396 have died, a rate of 0.007%.

City News Service and Patch Staffer Paige Austin contributed to this report.