FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
September 24, 2021

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released updated guidance recommending booster doses of the Pfizer vaccine for people who are at higher risk for COVID-19. At this time, booster doses are only available to people who received the Pfizer vaccine. The CDC is recommending the following groups receive booster doses at least six months after they have completed their two-dose series of the Pfizer vaccine:

• people 65 years and older and residents in long-term care settings,
• people aged 50–64 years with underlying medical conditions,
• people aged 18–49 years with underlying medical conditions may receive a booster shot based on their individual benefits and risks, and
• people aged 18-64 years who are at increased risk for COVID-19 exposure and transmission because of occupational or institutional setting may receive a booster shot based on their individual benefits and risks.

The process to begin offering vaccines to expanded groups takes multiple steps. Booster doses at the Southern Nevada Health District will be available to the newly recommended groups when these steps are complete. Once the vaccine is available to the expanded groups, the Health District will make an announcement and the information will be available on its website at www.snhd.info/covid-vaccine. The Health District’s vaccine website has been updated to include a feature that allows people to sort clinic listings by ZIP code.

The Health District continues to emphasize the importance of getting vaccinated to slow the spread of the virus and stop the pandemic. The COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective at protecting people against severe illness, hospitalization and death, including disease caused by Delta and other variants circulating in Clark County.

Third Doses

Third doses of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccine continue to be available for people who are immunocompromised and have completed the two-dose series of the vaccines. For people in this group, third doses of the vaccine can be administered 28 days after their second dose of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine. Additional doses of the vaccine for the immunocompromised are not available for people who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and CDC do not yet have enough data to make the same recommendations.

Vaccine Update

As of September 24, more than 74 percent of people 18 years of age and older in Clark County have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, and more than 69.9 percent of people eligible (people ages 12 and over) have also received at least one dose of the vaccine. Additionally, more than 62 percent of adults in Clark County are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The total number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in Clark County is 2,469,068. Additional vaccination information is available at www.snhd.info/covid-cases.

COVID-19 after Vaccination

As of September 23, the Health District has received reports of 9,729 fully vaccinated individuals testing positive for COVID-19. This represents 90 cases out of every 10,000 fully vaccinated people. The Health District is reporting a total of 146 deaths that have occurred in fully vaccinated Clark County residents. This represents 1 death out of every 10,000 fully vaccinated people. By comparison, the case rate is 50 deaths per 10,000 unvaccinated people.

No vaccine is 100 percent effective, and breakthrough infections among vaccinated people are expected. Because vaccines are not 100 percent effective, as the number of people who are fully vaccinated goes up, the number of breakthrough cases will also increase.

The Health District’s weekly report regarding COVID-19 infections after vaccination includes additional information, including trends. The complete report is available at www.snhd.info/covid-breakthrough

Variants

Variants of the virus that causes COVID-19 are tracked by the Health District, throughout the United States and globally by public health organizations. The virus that causes COVID-19 is constantly changing, and the best way to reduce the spread and slow the emergence of new variants is to get vaccinated. More information about variants, including classifications and definitions is available on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website at www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/variants/index.html.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, the CDC continues to learn about variants. Recently, the CDC reclassified how it reports variants as follows: Variants Being Monitored (VBM), which may include variants previously designated as Variants of Interest (VOI) or Variants of Concern (VOC), and Variants of High Consequence (VOHC).

As of September 23, the Health District is reporting the following variants being monitored (VBM) in Clark County:

As of September 23, the Health District is reporting the following variant of concern (VOC)  in Clark County:

In the past 30 days, the Health District identified the following variants in Clark County:

Clinic Locations

Testing and vaccine clinic location is updated regularly and available on the Health District’s COVID-19 website. A COVID-19 testing calendar with locations is available at www.snhd.info/covid-testing. More information about community vaccination site locations can be found at NVCOVIDFighter.org. The site also features live chat support to make scheduling a COVID-19 vaccine appointment and getting information about the vaccine more accessible.

The Southern Nevada Health District serves as the local public health authority for Clark County, Boulder City, Henderson, Las Vegas, Mesquite and North Las Vegas. The agency safeguards the public health of the community’s residents and visitors through innovative programs, regulations, and initiatives focused on protecting and promoting their health and well-being. More information about the Health District, its programs, services, and the regulatory oversight it provides is available at www.SNHD.info. Follow the Health District on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.