SoCal residents primarily pass on updated COVID shots

The buds are blooming, the grass is green, the orange and palm trees sway — and those spring COVID-19 vaccines are rolling out yet again.

This spring, the COVID-19 booster is aimed at folks 65 and older and those who are immunocompromised, but we mostly stink at staying up-to-date on these vaccinations. Cutting-edge Californians are remarkably under-vaccinated — only 13.7% of Golden Staters are up to date, and that percentage shrinks as poverty levels increase.

In Orange County, 12.6% of folks were up to date on their COVID-19 vaccines, compared to 12% in Los Angeles County, 8% in Riverside County, and 6.8% in San Bernardino County.

The most at-risk group is folks 65 and older, so it's good that it's also the most up-to-date age group. Still, the overwhelming majority of seniors are avoiding the shot: Statewide, 34.1% of folks 65 and older have had the most recent vaccine, compared to 32.2% in Orange County, 28.5% in Los Angeles County, 26.2% in Riverside County and 24.3% in San Bernardino County.

What gives?

“The messaging from the CDC is horrible,” said Eva Kohn of San Clemente. “Most people think COVID is over. As of late, the mRNA vaccines have some issues that can keep away potential takers.”

Among them, rare cardiac issues in young men. She opted for the Novavax shot, which is not an mRNA vaccine like Pfizer and Moderna. Novavax is a protein-based vaccine built on older technology; it includes protein fragments from the virus that can't cause disease, but fire up the immune system.

Her college-aged kids got the Novavax shot as well, and they've been COVID19-free this season.

“People are treating COVID-19 like the flu at this point; there are those who get flu shots every year and then there are the vast majority who don't,” Julie Huniu Nolte said via Face