Today I will be checking in on the latest COVID-19 data, including booster recommendations and the upcoming holidays. Other updates include:
Improving safety on Carlsbad streets
The latest on redistricting in Carlsbad and beyond
Another top-quality art exhibit opens in our city gallery
A new opportunity to walk in nature
Fire station construction coming right along
Lantern festival connects our community
Upcoming opportunities to get involved with your city government
Recognizing my fellow veterans
COVID-19 update
Two main themes seem to be dominating the COVID-19 news this week: booster shots and speculation about what the holiday season has in store.
The CDC recommends boosters for those 18 and older who got the J&J vaccine at least two months ago
For those who got Moderna and Pfizer, the CDC recommends boosters for those 65 and older or who are at a higher risk
Pfizer and Moderna are now seeking approval to offer boosters to anyone 18 and older, however this could be a formality since California’s top health official this week urged anyone who wants a booster to get one now, before the holidays. The state of Colorado has taken a similar stand.
California’s rationale behind the recommendation to deviate from CDC guidance is threefold:
For those who got vaccinated when vaccines first became widely available, immunity could already be lower, right as the holidays begin.
The holidays traditionally involve lots of indoor gatherings, after which we saw steep increases in COVID-19 cases last year.
The current criteria for getting the vaccine can be widely interpreted and is based on the honor system, meaning many people already are getting the boosters.
My best advice, as always, is to check with your own health care provider to determine whether (and when) you should get a booster shot.
Information about how to get the vaccine is on the city’s website.
COVID-19 case update
Active cases in Carlsbad increased by three this week, but we seem to be generally tracking the curve we are seeing across the county. In Carlsbad and regionally, we are lower than the summer surge, but not back to where we were last spring.
