Vaccinating everyone, including youth, is the key to stopping Delta
Vaccinating everyone — including youth 12 and above — is key to stopping the fast-spreading Delta variant.
By Maryjane Puffer, Executive Director
The Los Angeles Trust for Children’s Health
Los Angeles is at a turning point. We must defeat the pandemic now or let a new wave of coronavirus cases sweep through our communities in the next several months.
Forty-five percent of county residents are still not fully vaccinated, and some of the communities hit hardest by COVID-19 have the lowest vaccination rates. Vaccinations are also lagging among the young, who may be more susceptible to the Delta variant than they were to previous strains.
No vaccine offers 100% protection against infection, but current vaccines have proven safe and effective against all strains of COVID-19, including the Delta variant. More than 99.99% of people fully vaccinated people have not had a breakthrough case resulting in hospitalization or death, according to the CDC.
We must get this message to the millions of Angelenos who remain unvaccinated, including our youth 12 and above. This is critical as the virulent and dangerous Delta variant spreads.
Vaccination push
The Los Angeles Trust for Children’s Health is teaming with the L.A. County Department of Public Health, the Public Health Institute and 12 clinics and agencies to increase vaccinations and vaccine awareness as part of WeVa + LA. We are also supporting The L.A. Trust COVID-19 Youth Task Force, which is building vaccine awareness across Los Angeles. The task force is funded by a grant from Aspiration founder Joe Sanberg facilitated by Ethos Giving.
RESOURCES
The L.A. Trust
The L.A. Trust is conducting a social media campaign to support our partners using the hashtag #WeVaxLACounty. Get photos, videos, posts, blogs and account handles at https://bit.ly/3lcbnGe
CCALAC
The Community Clinic Association of Los Angeles County has produced a robust COVID-19 toolkit with customizable texts, social media posts and website pages for use by clinics and other agencies.
DPH
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health Services offers vaccine scheduling and a communications and information dashboard on vaccines and vaccination rates. Get social media posts in English, Spanish, Chinese, Korean and Armenian at https://thesocialpresskit.com/countyofla
To learn more, find a vaccination site near you and make an appointment, visit VaccinateLACounty.com (English) or VacunateLosAngeles.com (Spanish). You can also call 833-540-0473 for help finding an appointment, connecting to free transportation or scheduling a home visit if you are homebound. Vaccinations are free and open to eligible residents and workers regardless of immigration status.