50,000 Stanislaus County residents skipped their 2nd COVID shot. Are they protected?
In Stanislaus County, almost 50,000 residents have received only one dose of coronavirus vaccine and don’t have the protection of a second dose, county officials said.
County health officials said those residents who skipped their second dose face a higher risk of catching COVID-19 illness if the epidemic rebounds later this year. They include people who didn’t keep an appointment for getting their second dose of Pfizer vaccine, three weeks after the first, and partially vaccinated people who received a first shot of Moderna more than four weeks ago.
Some who skipped their second dose received their first shot more than six weeks ago. The 50,000 does not include people who got their first shot within the last few weeks and are simply waiting for their second-shot appointment.
County health officials are trying to convince the single-dose recipients to get their second Pfizer or Moderna shot, especially because of the looming threat of the Delta variant of the coronavirus.
Kamlesh Kaur, a spokesperson for the county Health Services Agency, said one dose of Pfizer vaccine is 33 percent effective against the Delta variant that ravaged India, while two doses are 88 percent effective. There is no efficacy data for Moderna’s effectiveness against the Delta variant.
Health experts are concerned the Delta variant will become the most dominant strain causing COVID-19 disease in the United States.
“Right now, we are pushing for people who only got their first dose to get the second dose, because having both series helps protect against the Delta variant,” Kaur said.
She said residents contacted by public health staff said they were afraid they would have more pain or side effects after the second dose, especially if the first shot gave them aches and pains. Post-vaccination symptoms such as a fever and muscle pain are signs the vaccine is working to build immunity.
Among other reasons for skipping the second dose were work schedules, or parents couldn’t leave children or other dependents at home.
“Last week, we reached out to quite a few people,” Kaur said.
Kaur said Monday the tally of Stanislaus County residents getting by with one dose was slightly over 50,000 on June 17. The latest tally was 49,841. A total of 60,580 have received just one shot as of this week, but some of them had their first shot recently and will return for the second.
Neighboring San Joaquin County did not have a count or estimate on how many residents have skipped a second dose. According to state data, the county’s tally of partially vaccinated people has stubbornly remained above 75,000 since June 1 and was almost 90,000 on May 15.
Krista Dommer, a spokeswoman for San Joaquin County public health, said close to 1,000 calls were made to people who missed their second dose. Outreach staff recorded a variety of outcomes including no answer, the person had moved, was incarcerated or died. In some cases, the person received a second dose but it was not recorded in the registry.
The California Department of Public Health said Monday that 91.4 percent of vaccine recipients statewide have received the full immunization. The department said 1.87 million have not completed the two-shot series.
Can you get second shot after six weeks?
The Stanislaus County Health Services Agency is planning more vaccination clinic opportunities for local residents who have skipped the second dose. As a general rule, the Pfizer and Moderna shots can be given six weeks apart, but those needing a second dose can still get one beyond the six-week mark, Kaur said.
She noted that the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have not said it’s necessary to restart the vaccine series if the first dose was more than six weeks ago.
County health officials have said recently that patients hospitalized locally with COVID-19 were not vaccinated. The COVID hospital count this week was down to 22 confirmed COVID-19 patients, including 12 in intensive care units.
Since vaccinations began in mid-December, starting with health workers and then the public, 534 of the 537 COVID-19 deaths were people who were not vaccinated. The county did not have more information on the three deceased people who had a record of vaccination. Those cases are under investigation, Kaur said.
About 53 percent of county residents, age 12 and over, who are eligible for COVID vaccine have received at least one shot, while 47 percent are not vaccinated at all. Kaur said 40 percent of eligible residents are fully vaccinated.
According to state data, a total of 444,346 vaccine doses have been administered in the county of 557,000 residents and 199,766 people are fully vaccinated with two doses of Pfizer or Moderna or the single-dose Johnson & Johnson, leaving 357,000 with partial or no vaccination.
While most of the coronavirus health restrictions were lifted by the state June 15, unvaccinated people are expected to wear masks and practice distancing in stores and other indoor settings and in crowded outdoor situations.
Kaur said six Delta variant cases have been identified in Stanislaus County through genomic sequencing tests conducted by outside labs.
The Stanislaus County Health Services has the dates and times for vaccine clinics at www.schsa.org. People can make an appointment for a second dose at public or private clinics at MyTurn or call 833-422-4255.
This story was originally published June 29, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
