With increasing coronavirus case rates and hospitalizations among children, The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) expanded Pfizer and BioNTech booster shot eligibility to children ages 12- to 15-years-old just in time for resumed in-person learning. 

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health announced Monday that pediatric hospitalizations have increased by almost 190 percent from Dec. 4 to Dec. 25, and Pfizer booster eligibility is being expanded to combat the spread.

While the numbers of children hospitalized remain low, 0- to 4-year-olds saw the largest hospitalization rates with a 3.25-fold increase, followed by 12- to 17-year-old teens with a 3.0-fold increase and 5- to 11-year-olds who saw an increase of 1.5-fold, according to Public Health data. 

Cases among children have also increased by 207 percent from the two-week period starting on Nov. 8 to the two-week period ending on Dec. 26, according to Public Health data. 

The FDA, which initiated the Emergency Use Authorization expansion for young teens, also authorized a third vaccine dose for immunocompromised children for children ages 5 to 11-years-old, according to FDA officials.

“Given that vaccinations and boosters provide the most protection against COVID-19, reducing transmission and disruptions in learning at schools, families need to act urgently to get their school-aged children vaccinated,” said Dr. Barbara Ferrer, Director of Public Health.

​​See Related: Where To Get COVID-19 Tested Amid Highest Coronavirus Spike In Santa Clarita History

Public Health is asking that anyone stepping foot onto a school campus adhere to the public health safety measures that reduce spread including wearing a medical grade mask indoors and in outdoor crowded spaces, testing all staff and students before or during the first few days of schools reopening and strictly adhering to the revised quarantine and isolation requirements outlined in the LA County Health Officer Order issued on December 31.

“As students return to the classroom, we all need to follow the public health safety measures in place to ensure our schools can open safely after the winter break,” Ferrer said. “Because higher community transmission creates additional challenges at our schools, everyone needs to do their part to slow the spread of the virus.”

In an effort to increase capacity at schools to offer testing to returning students, L.A. County Public Health and the L.A. County Office of Education is working to distribute at-home test kits provided by the state for the county’s 1.4 million school aged students, according to Public Health officials. 

Additionally, the L.A. County Home Test Collection program is offering free, at-home COVID nasal swab test kits via mail to all L.A. County residents who have experienced COVID-19 symptoms or believe they may have been exposed. These kits are free of charge and can be requested through the program’s website.

To keep workplaces and schools open, residents and workers are asked to:

• Get tested to help reduce the spread, especially if you traveled for the holidays, have had a possible exposure, or have symptoms, or are gathering with people not in your household

• Adhere to masking requirements when indoors or at crowded outdoor spaces, regardless of vaccination status

Residents are legally required to be isolated if they have a positive COVID test result and that vaccinated close contacts with symptoms and unvaccinated close contacts need to be quarantined. For updated isolation and quarantine guidance, click here. 

See Related: Nearly 900,000 Children Across L.A. County Newly Eligible For Pfizer Vaccine

Public Health data released Monday confirmed eight additional deaths and 16,269 new cases of COVID-19 with the number of cases reflecting holiday weekend reporting delays, according to Public Health officials. 

Of the 8 new deaths reported across L.A. County, two people were between the ages of 30 and 49, one was between the ages of 50 and 64, three were between the ages of 65 and 79, and two were over the age of 80-years-old. Of the eight newly reported deaths, seven had underlying health conditions. 

There are 1,792 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized across L.A. County. Testing results are available for more than 10,113,300 individuals, with 16 percent of people testing positive, according to Public Health data. 

“While we continue to experience the surge in cases, Public Health is reminding residents to avoid visiting the emergency room unless they need emergency medical care,” read a statement from Public Health.  “Residents should not be visiting the emergency department solely to get a COVID test or for minor complaints that could be resolved through their primary care physician. Emergency room visits should be reserved for those patients who are feeling severely ill – for example, those who are short of breath – or who have serious concerns about their health and who require immediate emergency care.”

As of Monday, January 3, 44,607 cumulative cases have been reported in the Santa Clarita Valley since March of 2020, according to Public Health. These cases include:

• 34,139 in the City of Santa Clarita* (+430)
• 95 in the unincorporated areas of Bouquet Canyon (+2)
• 1,521 in the unincorporated areas of Canyon Country (+21)
• 5,138 in Castaic* (+37)
• 72 in the unincorporated areas of Newhall (+1)
• 7 in Placerita Canyon (+1)
• 26 in San Francisquito/Bouquet Canyon (+1)
• 26 in unincorporated Sand Canyon 
• 205 in the unincorporated areas of Saugus (+1)
• 57 in the unincorporated areas of Saugus/Canyon Country 
• 2,403 in Stevenson Ranch (+23)
• 517 in the unincorporated areas of Val Verde (+4)
• 401 in the unincorporated areas of Valencia (+6)

A wide range of data and dashboards on COVID-19 from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health are available on the Public Health website:

• COVID-19 Daily Data (cases, deaths, testing, testing positivity rate, mortality rate, and hospitalizations)
• Gender, Age, Race/Ethnicity and City/Community Cases and Deaths
• Recovery Metrics
• Contract Tracing Metrics
• Skilled Nursing Facility Metrics

Public Health encourages everyone who is eligible to get vaccinated. Anyone 5-years-old and older living or working in L.A. County can get vaccinated against COVID-19. Many vaccination sites across the county, including all the County-run sites, are also offering third doses of vaccine to eligible immunocompromised people.

Vaccinations are always free and open to eligible residents and workers regardless of immigration status. To learn how to make a vaccine appointment, what verifications you will need to show at your vaccination appointment, and much more, visit the L.A. County Vaccination website (English) or Vacunate Los Angeles website (Spanish).

See All Coronavirus Coverage: Coronavirus Coverage – COVID-19 Map

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