Modesto hospital leaders urge people to get vaccinated as COVID-19 keeps spreading
Board members of Doctors Medical Center in Modesto are making their own appeal for COVID-19 vaccinations.
The approaching holiday gatherings will create conditions for spreading the SARS-COV-2 virus. In addition, flu viruses will be making people sick, creating a dual threat that could fill hospital beds with patients suffering from the flu or COVID-19 pneumonia.
It could have tragic consequences for individuals and families.
“Getting vaccinated is one of many steps you can take to protect yourself and others from COVID-19,” the board said in a message to the community released Friday. “Protection from COVID-19 is critically important because for some people, it can cause severe illness or death.”
The message was signed by business and community leaders on the hospital governing board including chairman David Halvorson, owner of American Chevrolet; vice-chairperson Niamh Seavy, a general surgeon; secretary Marian Kaanon, chief executive officer of Stanislaus Community Foundation; and board members Britta Foster, William Lyons Jr., Dr. Benjamin Remington, Ed Rocha and William Seavy.
Stanislaus County public health officials have charted a recent increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations. The latest numbers on the county’s online dashboard showed 141 COVID admissions, as of Friday, including 30 patients in intensive are units.
The hospitalization number has risen by 21 percent since admissions dipped to 117 on Oct. 26. County health officials hope the increase will be short-lived, but the level of vaccination in the county makes hospitals vulnerable to a surge of patients in the next two months.
About 58 percent of county residents age 12 and older are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and the rate is 60 percent among those 18 years and over.
The hospital board pointed out that adults between 25 and 64 years old are the hardest hit by COVID-19 this fall.
The vast majority of COVID-positive patients admitted to Doctors Medical Center are not vaccinated and they are typically the ones who need the highest intensity of care, the board said.
“Based on the data I’ve seen as a board member of Doctors Medical Center, the majority of seriously ill patients are unvaccinated,” Kaanon said by email Friday. “This is a fact and our community needs to understand this reality. We strongly encourage those who haven’t been vaccinated to schedule an appointment, not only for themselves, but for their loved ones.”
The board cited county public health data that 82 percent of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 are not fully vaccinated and 93 percent who die are not vaccinated.
The FDA-approved COVID vaccines work to build immunity in the body so a person is ready to combat the virus if infected. A vaccination is considered one of the layers of protection against the virus that’s resulted in 71,852 deaths in California and 1,359 fatalities in Stanislaus County.
People are also advised to practice hand-washing, as well as masking and social distancing in indoor public settings.
A two-week county surveillance report revealed that 44 percent of residents testing positive Oct. 3-16 were 18 to 44 years old and 22 percent were 45 to 64 years old. Children and adolescents accounted for 26 percent of the 1,791 new cases, while the group with the most vaccine coverage — adults 65 and older — represented 8 percent of cases.
According to the state health department, the case rate is around 40 per 100,000 for unvaccinated people, compared to 5.9 per 100,000 among people who are vaccinated.
The county surveillance report says 31 people lost their lives to COVID-19 during the two-week period in October. About 44 percent of the 244 deaths due to COVID-19 since July 1 were adults in the 25 to 64 age group. The percentage of deaths in older adults 65 and older has dropped from 80 percent or more early in the pandemic to 56 percent the second half of 2021.
Sutter begins appointments for kids vaccine
COVID vaccines were first made available to priority groups, such as front-line hospital workers, almost a year ago. The latest vaccine rollout is for children ages 5 to 11.
Sutter Health said Friday it is starting to schedule appointments for giving the Pfizer pediatric vaccine. For now, appointment availability is limited.
Dr. Stephanie Chiang, a pediatrician for Sutter Health in the Bay Area, vouched for the safety of the pediatric vaccine being distributed under an emergency use authorization from the FDA.
Chiang said in a news conference that COVID-19 disease can damage organs, such as the lungs and heart, leading to long-term health effects. Children with a severe case can suffer from multisystem inflammatory syndrome.
The doctor said the risks of COVID-19 far outweigh any risks of the vaccination for children.
Some are eligible for booster dose
State health officials say booster doses for eligible residents are a way to ensure optimal protection going into the winter months. The eligibility includes people 65 and older, adults in long-term facilities, adults with underlying medical conditions and those who risk infection because of their work environment or social inequity.
Eligible people who received the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine can get a booster shot six months or more after completing the original vaccination. A booster is authorized for Johnson & Johnson recipients who received the initial dose two or more months ago.
Residents can go to myturn.ca.gov or call 833-422-4255 to schedule a COVID vaccination at a pharmacy, health center or county vaccine clinics.
The Stanislaus County Health Services Agency has information about COVID vaccine clinics at www.schsa.org.
This story was originally published November 6, 2021 at 5:39 AM.
