Weekly News From Los Alamos County
March 30, 2022
Inside this newsletter you will find...
The Epidemiology Corner - Updated CDC Booster Recommendations, 7 Steps to Prepare for the Next Wave, Survey & Results, COVID-19 data and more.
CDC Recommends Second COVID-19 Booster for Persons 50+ Years...

"...a booster increases protection against Omicron-related hospitalization"
COVID-19 vaccination is currently aimed at reducing risks of severe illness and death.  Vaccine effectiveness wanes over near-term time, however, presenting challenges to effective disease management during an on-going pandemic with uncertain trajectory.  Data from the CDC during the recent Omicron surge show that the mRNA vaccines widely used in the U.S. are most effective when two primary doses are followed roughly 5 months later with a booster dose. As shown here, a booster increases protection against Omicron-related hospitalization in adults to levels that well exceed those provided by the two-dose primary series alone. Similar results have been observed in children 12-17 years old.  CDC recommends that all eligible adults, adolescents, and children 5 and older be up to date on their COVID-19 vaccines, which includes getting an initial booster when eligible. See information HERE.


On March 29, 2022, CDC updated its recommendations to allow certain immunocompromised individuals and people over the age of 50 who received an initial booster dose at least 4 months ago to be eligible for a second mRNA booster to increase their protection against severe disease from COVID-19.  See information HERE

The updated recommendations acknowledge the increased risk of severe disease in certain populations including those 65 years and older and those over the age of 50 with predisposing medical conditions. Although studies do not as yet exist in the U.S. to estimate the increased level of protection afforded by a second booster, a recent study from Israel during the Omicron surge showed a 78% decline in COVID-19 death rates among persons 60+ years who received a second booster compared to those who had received only the first booster dose at least 4 months prior. See HERE.
 
COVID-19 Status in Los Alamos County
Persons 50 years and older comprise about 40% of the county population (~7,500 persons) and are split about equally between those 50-64 years of age and those 65 years and older. Average daily COVID-19 case counts during the peak of the recent Omicron wave approximated 10-12 cases per day among those 50 years and older. The rapid increase in cases at the outset of the Omicron surge in older adults mirrored that seen in younger county residents. Roughly 360 COVID-19 cases were reported between December 2021 and  March 2022 in persons 50 years and older, comprising about 5% of this age group. Currently, 7-day average daily case counts are under one case per day for the entire county population, and proportionately lower among residents 50 years and older.      

News
CDC Statement on President’s Fiscal Year 2023 Budget
Today, the Biden Administration released the President’s FY 2023 budget. The CDC budget request for FY 2023 includes $10.675 billion in discretionary budget authority, Public Health Service evaluation funds, and Prevention and Public Health Funds, which is $2.3 billion over the FY 2022 appropriation. In addition, the CDC budget includes new proposed mandatory funding to establish a Vaccines for Adults program and to invest in pandemic preparedness. This budget request will enable the Agency to invest in the core infrastructure of our country’s public health system.

“CDC’s FY 2023 President’s Budget request is designed to address some of the most profound public health challenges we face today, while continuing the Administration’s goal of revitalizing our fragile public health system to protect the health of all Americans and alleviate the substantial human and economic costs we’ve endured during this pandemic,” said CDC Director Rochelle P. Walensky, MD, MPH.

Specifically, the budget request includes funding to:

  • Improve readiness for future public health crises
CDC will continue to build on initial investments and lessons learned from COVID-19 by investing in the nation’s public health infrastructure, continuing to support the science base for COVID-19 vaccination, modernizing public health data systems, building up the nation’s first epidemic forecasting center, and advancing global health security.

  • Address racial and ethnic and other disparities in public health
CDC’s budget requests new increases in areas such as childhood lead poisoning prevention and maternal health, and continues to request increases for other key programs to improve health equity and reduce health disparities among racial and ethnic minority communities and other disproportionately affected communities around the country.

  • Build public health approaches to prioritize mental health and reduce violence
CDC’s budget request includes increases to address community violence, opioid overdose prevention, suicide prevention, and firearm injury and mortality prevention. It also includes increased funding for Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and school-based youth mental health programs. These resources will help to address the growing crises of violence and suicide and build resiliency and emotional well-being.

  • Defeat diseases and epidemics
This budget request includes major investments to help end the HIV/AIDS epidemic, support the Administration’s Cancer Moonshot initiative, tackle antibiotic resistance, and reduce viral hepatitis.

CDC/ATSDR’s full FY 2023 request can be found here: FY 2023 | Congressional Justifications | Budget | CDC
(Source: CDC)
The next wave of the coronavirus is coming, and in some parts of the United States, it’s already here. The culprit this time is the highly contagious Omicron subvariant BA.2, which has already led to a surge of cases in Europe and is now the dominant version of the virus in the United States and around the world.

American health officials have said they are hopeful that BA.2 won’t cause another major surge, in part because so many people were infected by the original Omicron wave this winter and most likely have at least some natural or vaccine immunity to protect them against severe illness and hospitalization.

But other variables could make the BA.2 wave more damaging. Less than 70 percent of Americans over 65 have had a first booster shot, leaving a large group vulnerable, said Dr. Eric Topol, a professor of molecular medicine at Scripps Research in La Jolla, Calif. And for many people who got their booster shots in the fall, immune protection may be waning. Unvaccinated people who are counting on natural immunity from a previous infection by a different variant should know that BA.2 can easily sidestep those fading immune defenses.

And then there’s the question of whether pandemic fatigue will prevent some people from taking reasonable precautions, like wearing masks and social distancing, when case numbers start to rise in their area.

While the virus is unpredictable, there are clear ways to protect yourself.

Here’s what you can do to prepare:
  1. Pay attention to Covid indicators in your community.
  2. Have high-quality masks on hand.
  3. Order home coronavirus tests sooner rather than later.
  4. Get a booster (when you’re eligible).
  5. Get a pulse oximeter.
  6. Make a plan for antiviral drug treatment.
  7. Have backup plans for social events and travel.
(Source: NYT - Tara Parker-Pope and Knvul Sheikh)

Do you think Los Alamos County will see another wave of COVID-19 cases?
Yes - I am taking steps to prepare
Yes, but I am not worried about it
No - The pandemic is over
I am not sure
Surveys and Questions
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COVID-19 Data Resources
CDC COVID Data Tracker - March 30, 2022

To get today's break down of positive case data, demographics information, vaccine status and more for Los Alamos County or other counties across the United States, click HERE
Johns Hopkins 
The charts available with this TOOL layout the key metrics for understanding the reach and severity of COVID-19 in a given area.
Johns Hopkins
COVID-19 Status Report Dashboard for
NMDOH Epidemiology Reports - Daily and Weekly Data
As part of the COVID-19 pandemic response, NMDOH collects and analyzes statewide data for COVID-19 positive cases, hospitalizations, and deaths. The reports reflect these critical data and are updated weekly - click HERE
Los Alamos Vaccine & Booster Information
Los Alamos County Vaccine/Booster Resources
Visit the County COVID Page for information regarding vaccinations/boosters, click below:
Testing Resources for Los Alamos County
Additional Los Alamos County Testing Resources
Visit the County COVID Page for information regarding testing, click below:
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