By Gavin J. Quinton
and Mia Alva
Outlook Valley Sun
As the new COVID-19 vaccine hit pharmacies last week, cautious La Cañada Flintridge Unified School District officials and Los Angeles County health experts recommend widespread vaccination with the new school year well underway.
As of Sept. 18, there have been 4,660 total COVID-19 cases in La Cañada Flintridge, according to the Los Angeles County Public Health Department.
At the beginning of summer, local health experts expressed concern over the sharp increase in COVID-19 positivity rates. In June, the figure was just 4%, but that number spiked to almost 16% by late August before taking a dip to around 14% at the start of September.
COVID-19 hospitalization rates are also on the rise, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, however L.A. County cases are lower than the national curve, according to local wastewater and testing data.
There were roughly 200 hospitalizations in June, compared to 612 as of the second week of September. Still, L.A. County remains in the CDC Low Hospital Admission Level with 7.2 weekly COVID-19 hospital admissions per 100,000 people as of Sept. 11.
There are now 14 prominent COVID-19 variants, but global health experts say that the jury is still out as to whether these new variants — EG.5, BA.2.86 and XBB. 1.5 which stemmed from Omicron — will be of significant concern.
The new vaccine, manufactured by ModernaTX Inc. and Pfizer Inc., more effectively targets these new variants, health officials said, and it became available in La Cañada Flintridge pharmacies last week.
“The 2023-2024 updated COVID-19 vaccines more closely target the XBB lineage of the Omicron variant and could restore protection against severe COVID-19 that may have decreased over time,” the CDC stated on its website. “We anticipate the updated vaccines will be better at fighting currently circulating variants.”
The new vaccine is recommended in LCF schools, but no requirement has been levied by county health officials. The district COVID-19 policy is guided by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, which has not issued masking or vaccine mandates.
According to a statement from the CDC, “Staying up to date on vaccines is especially important heading into fall and winter, as indicators of COVID-19 transmission, including more outbreaks in schools, work sites and skilled nursing facilities, have increased in Los Angeles County over the past few weeks.”
Debra Cradduck, assistant superintendent of human resources, said that the district strongly encourages individuals to get the vaccination to protect the health of the school community, which aligns with the county’s recommendation.
Although masking is not required, all school and office work sites have a supply of masks for students and staff, said Cradduck.
“We encourage parents and the community at large to be diligent in their efforts to safeguard their health as we are entering the cold/flu season,” said Cradduck.
Even though school has just started, Cradduck said the district has seen positive COVID-19 cases among students and staff already.
“LCUSD will continue to align with the requirements for public schools as set for by LACDPH and will share any significant updates with the school community as needed,” she said.
The district is still following strict contact tracing guidelines in a cautious effort to prevent outbreaks in schools.
“LCUSD tracks the positive cases at each site and regularly analyzes the data in order to report positive case clusters to LACDPH, ensure adequate COVID supplies, and adjust management plans accordingly,” said Cradduck.
If a student or staff member reports a positive test result, they must remain home for at least five days from the date of the positive test and/or when the symptoms first appeared, said Cradduck.
Per the Health and Safety Plan that the district updates with new changes, students and staff members may return to school or work on day six if they have been fever-free without medication for at least 24 hours and if their symptoms have resolved or are improving.
While students who return before day 10 are strongly encouraged to wear a well-fitted face mask through the remainder of day 10, staff members are required to.
“The number of positive cases remains at or below 1% of the student population since the beginning of the school year, with the highest number of positive cases typically occurring after long weekends and/or holidays,” said Cradduck.
COVID-19 testing has significantly decreased on-site across the schools in the district, since free tests are available for all individuals and can be ordered and delivered to the home for ease of use, Cradduck said.
“LCUSD staff may also access COVID tests at their work site per Cal/OSHA guidelines,” she said. “The district asks staff and families to report any positive test results to the school site health office to ensure timely close contact tracing.”
Recently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices have recommended updated COVID vaccines to individuals 6 months and older.
“The updated vaccines are expected to provide good protection against COVID-19 from the currently circulating variants,” read a press release from the FDA. “Barring the emergence of a markedly more virulent variant, the FDA anticipates that the composition of COVID-19 vaccines may need to be updated annually, as is done for the seasonal influenza vaccine.”
The newly available vaccine also comes with no out-of-pocket cost regardless of insurance or immigration status, according to Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.
“Immunity to COVID infections wanes over time and with new variant strains circulating, there is increased potential for infection,” the department stated on its website.
Even more recently, as of Sept. 25, the federal government has continued to allow every household to put in an order to receive four free at-home COVID-19 tests. Orders are expected to ship starting the week of Oct. 2. To place an order, visit covid.gov/tests.
To drop in or make an appointment to get vaccinated, residents can visit, myturn.ca.gov.
First published in the September 28 print issue of the Outlook Valley Sun.
