Some Bay Area counties requiring boosters for healthcare workers

MARTINEZ, Calif. - About a week after California announced that healthcare workers across the state will be required to get their booster shot, at least two Bay Area counties followed suit.

Contra Costa County announced Monday it will require first responders and workers in homeless shelters to verify they've received a booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.  And Santa Clara County public health oofficialsn Tuesday said they'd be requiring boosters for healthcare workers and those in congregate settings such as long-term care facilities, correctional facilities, and homeless shelters.

In Contra Costa County, the order will take effect Jan. 10 and require unboosted workers to test weekly with either a PCR or antigen test for COVID-19.   

"The omicron variant is much more infectious than previous strains of COVID-19," said Dr. Chris Farnitano, Contra Costa County health officer, in a statement. "Boosting is necessary for the best protection from omicron infection and transmission.    

"Our hospitals are at risk of being overwhelmed if a large number of our most vulnerable residents get sick. Our goal is to ramp up the protection around places where there is an elevated risk of exposure, and people who are at high risk of serious illness if they become infected."  

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The order requires applicable workers to test weekly for COVID-19 and provide the results to their employers or, if fully vaccinated, provide proof they've received a booster vaccine within one month of becoming eligible.     

Employers are required to keep vaccination records for these employees.   

Anyone 16 or older is eligible for a booster dose six months after they become fully vaccinated with the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or two months after they receive a dose of the Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) vaccine.   

California added a similar statewide requirement for healthcare workers, home care workers, and employees of congregate care and detention facilities, on Dec. 22.

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Omicron is already the dominant strain of COVID-19 in the U.S. The average daily number of newly detected COVID-19 cases in Contra Costa has risen about 156 percent in the past week, with an average of 313 new cases per day, a trend expected to continue and potentially accelerate throughout California this winter.   Contra Costa identified the county's first patients infected by this variant just last week - two of the three initial cases were fully vaccinated, but none of them had received boosters.  

The health service department says about 36 percent of Contra Costa residents 16 and older have gotten a booster dose, which reduces risk of infection from the omicron variant and dramatically reduces risk of serious illness, hospitalization, or death from all variants of COVID-19.  

Visit coronavirus.cchealth.org/get-vaccinated for information about healthcare providers, pharmacies and clinics offering COVID-19 vaccinations and booster shots. No-cost vaccinations and boosters are also available through CCHS' public clinics by calling 1-833-829-2626.   

Bay City News contributed to this report.