DPH urges COVID-19 boosters as San Francisco sees early case rise; hospitalizations remain low
November 16, 2021 | San Francisco City, San Francisco County, California
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San Francisco Department of Public Health Director Grant Colfax told the Health Commission that COVID-19 case rates began increasing after Halloween and the local reproductive rate is about 1.16, signaling a growth in community transmission. "We are watching this very carefully," Colfax said as he urged residents to get boosters and stay vigilant during the holiday season.
Colfax said the city is recommending boosters for everyone 18 and older: those six months out from a Moderna or Pfizer primary series and two months out from a Johnson & Johnson shot. He noted the recommendation aligns with California DPH guidance and that the city is administering over 4,000 booster doses per day. "One in three seniors 65-plus has received a booster dose," Colfax added, calling for increased uptake among younger adult age groups.
On hospitalization metrics, Colfax said the local hospital census remained manageable with 29 COVID-19 inpatients citywide, including 12 in intensive care, and that hospital surges typically lag case increases by about two weeks. He also highlighted vaccination progress: roughly 76 percent of San Franciscans aged 5 and older were reported as fully vaccinated in the presentation, and uptake among children 5-11 was about 29 percent with over 11,000 doses administered to that age group so far.
Health Officer (Dr.) Philip and commissioners discussed mask policies and vaccine documentation. Dr. Philip noted that the CDC (and its advisory committees) is the lead body for defining "fully vaccinated" policy nationally and said local health officers are following current CDC definitions for now. Commissioners asked about testing guidance and whether home antigen tests can be used prior to gatherings; DPH encouraged timely home testing and said plans are in place to expand testing capacity during the holidays.
The commission received the update and asked staff to circulate audit recommendations on EPIC privacy (an ongoing internal review) when available.
Provenance: Director Colfax's COVID-19 update and booster recommendation appear in the meeting transcript in the COVID update segment beginning around SEG 1362 and continuing through commissioner Q&A (SEG 1509-1571).
Colfax said the city is recommending boosters for everyone 18 and older: those six months out from a Moderna or Pfizer primary series and two months out from a Johnson & Johnson shot. He noted the recommendation aligns with California DPH guidance and that the city is administering over 4,000 booster doses per day. "One in three seniors 65-plus has received a booster dose," Colfax added, calling for increased uptake among younger adult age groups.
On hospitalization metrics, Colfax said the local hospital census remained manageable with 29 COVID-19 inpatients citywide, including 12 in intensive care, and that hospital surges typically lag case increases by about two weeks. He also highlighted vaccination progress: roughly 76 percent of San Franciscans aged 5 and older were reported as fully vaccinated in the presentation, and uptake among children 5-11 was about 29 percent with over 11,000 doses administered to that age group so far.
Health Officer (Dr.) Philip and commissioners discussed mask policies and vaccine documentation. Dr. Philip noted that the CDC (and its advisory committees) is the lead body for defining "fully vaccinated" policy nationally and said local health officers are following current CDC definitions for now. Commissioners asked about testing guidance and whether home antigen tests can be used prior to gatherings; DPH encouraged timely home testing and said plans are in place to expand testing capacity during the holidays.
The commission received the update and asked staff to circulate audit recommendations on EPIC privacy (an ongoing internal review) when available.
Provenance: Director Colfax's COVID-19 update and booster recommendation appear in the meeting transcript in the COVID update segment beginning around SEG 1362 and continuing through commissioner Q&A (SEG 1509-1571).
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