Social and emotional connections, which went on hiatus during the Covid-19 pandemic, are resurging, but bringing with them an uptick in a number of respiratory illnesses, says California Department of Public Health Director Dr. Tomas Aragon.
“Winter time is special because of all the holidays,” says Aragon. “The social connections are really important for social and emotional well-being, especially given everything that we’ve gone through with the COVID pandemic, the stresses that we’re experiencing from things happening around the world, the extreme weather events.”
“All these stresses have an impact on our mental health and so we absolutely want people to get together with their families and to really enjoy each other. The intergenerational connections that people have are really important for mental health,” he said at a recent news briefing with reporters.
Very Low Numbers of Vaccinations
But the holiday season poses public health challenges: surges in influenza, RSV, and Covid-19 are already being reported by health departments around the state. The challenge is made more acute by the very low numbers of people availing of the new Covid-19 vaccines, which became available in September. About 4.6% of Californians have availed of the vaccines. Rates of vaccine distribution are even lower in under-resourced communities. There are also disparities by race. For example, 6.7% of White residents in California have been immunized against Covid. Only 2.7% of African Americans in the state, and fewer than 1.5% of Latinos have received the new Covid-19 vaccinations. About 5.7% of Asian Americans in California have availed of the new vaccines, according to CDPH data.
Only 14% of older Californians – the age group with the highest number of deaths from Covid – have received the new vaccines. “These numbers are not good enough. We should really be seeing much higher rates, especially amongst the old,” says Aragon. He pointed out the new single-dose Novavax vaccine, which reportedly has fewer side effects and less down time. “The benefits of receiving the vaccine outweigh any risk from receiving from not from sorry any risk from receiving the vaccine,” notes Aragon. Obesity, prevalent in more than two-thirds of Americans, is considered a chronic medical condition; people who are obese are at greater risk for long Covid and death.
Efficacy Against Subvariants
The Bridge Access Program in California allows folks who are uninsured or underinsured to still get a Covid-19 vaccination.
The new vaccines are effective against the new XBB subvariant of Omicron. XBB is currently the prevailing subvariant in the US
For influenza, the most vulnerable are the youngest, the oldest, and people with chronic medical conditions. All these populations are advised by the CDPH to take an annual flu shot. For people who don’t want to take an injection, a nasal spray is available. Both injectable and nasal influenza vaccines are available on a walk-in basis at local pharmacies; a doctor’s appointment is not required. In wide contrast to Covid vaccines, about 80% of Americans get an annual flu shot.
Keep Masks On
A mask with a good filtration system will help protect people reduce their exposure to Covid, RSV, and flu. Aragon also recommends eating outdoors, if possible, or other spaces that are well-ventilated, washing hands, and staying home if you are sick. “There is treatment for Covid, there is treatment for influenza. But we have great prevention tools, the most important of which is the vaccine.”
“I’m hoping that we get to the point where people feel as comfortable with the COVID vaccine as they do with influenza vaccine. People roll up their sleeves every year for influenza vaccine and we have to just we have to make that transition in the social norms,” says Aragon.
