Santa Clara County health officials are urging residents to get the newest COVID-19 booster vaccine ahead of the holiday season.
According to the Santa Clara Public Health Department, just 11 percent of Santa Clara County residents are fully vaccinated as of this week.
According to the CDC, fully vaccinated is defined as having the latest booster shot, which protects against the original COVID strain as well as the newest subvariants of the omicron variant.
While the county’s case count remains low compared to spring and early summer, winter months are approaching which means large groups will gather indoors in close proximity – increasing the risk of catching the disease.
Santa Clara County also announced this week that it will begin offering bivalent COVID-19 booster appointments for children aged 5-11 at its mass and local vaccination clinics.
The CDC says that children can get the new booster shot as soon as two months after getting the initial COVID-19 vaccine series.
COVID vaccines are available to everyone 6 months and older.
To learn more about the Omicron COVID-19 booster shot and how to book a vaccine appointment, visit Santa Clara County’s Public Health website.