'No Reason To Panic:' SF Officials Talk COVID Variant, Vaccines

San Francisco CA

19 January, 2021

5:25 PM

Description

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — The San Francisco Bay Area hit a few snags over the weekend with the detection of a new coronavirus variant and the loss of a batch of Moderna vaccines that were placed on pause due after several people had an allergic reaction to the shot. The city of San Francisco received 8,000 doses of the questionable lot, which reportedly caused allergic reactions in several people at Petco Park in San Diego. That particular batch is currently under investigation. Fewer than 10 people required medical attention after receiving their Moderna dose, prompting the state to halt its distribution of that particular dose, state health officials said on Tuesday. Consequentially, the loss of vaccine supply will put the City of San Francisco behind schedule, Dr. Grant Colfax, director of health for the city and county of San Francisco, said during a Tuesday news conference. "As of today, we have not received any replacement doses," Colfax said. "This will have an impact on the city's ability to complete already scheduled vaccinations," adding, "the inconsistent and unpredictable flow of vaccine from the state and directly at the feet of the feds is not only impacting [the Department of Public Health] but our city healthcare providers as well." And as the city struggles to vaccinate its eligible residents with a limited supply of doses, concerns about a new coronavirus variant, L452R, have begun to surface. The variant was detected in the Bay Area and differs from the highly contagious B.1.1.7, which was found in the United Kingdom. Other variants have been found in South Africa and Brazil. "There's no need to panic," Colfax said. "...we see variants in these types of viruses, this is the natural evolution of the virus to some degree." Although there was nothing new to report about the new Bay Area variant, Colfax assured that the same precautions — wearing a mask, social distancing and avoiding gatherings — would continue to protect against the virus. "While some of these variants are more concerning than others, we really need to get more information with regard to their characteristics," he said. "Certainly with the UK variant, for instance, we know that it is more infectious. This additional variant that was recently described in the Bay Area also appears that there's a likelihood that it is more infectious." Dr. Mark Ghaly, California's health secretary, said on Tuesday that L452R was first detected last year and has been seen in other countries and states. The variant has been linked to several large outbreaks in Santa Clara County, he said. "We're still learning about what it means," Ghaly said on Tuesday. As for the UK variant, Pfizer officials have assured that the vaccine would still be effective, but there is little information about how these new mutations will interact with Pfizer and Moderna. "Scientists are looking at the characteristics of these variants with regard to the vaccines but we don't have additional information for most of these variants..." Colfax said. The San Francisco Department of Public Health received 31,665 vaccines, and 15,545 have been administered, officials announced Tuesday. Some 12,920 have received a first dose while 2,625 have been given both doses. Tier 1A of the vaccination plan includes some 210,000 people which includes 80,000-90,000 healthcare workers, 11,000 in-home care workers and 110,000 people ages 65 and over. But the county was projected to run out of vaccines on Thursday, which could put the county even farther behind on its vaccination schedule. "This week we received a fraction of the doses we requested from the state," Colfax said. Although officials anticipate a delayed vaccine rollout, San Francisco Mayor London Breed did deliver some positive news about the winter surge. "We continue to see the impact of the December holidays. Our cases are still climbing…but they seem to be increasing at a slower rate," Breed said. "Our hospitalizations are still as high as they've been but seem to be slowing." The city is averaging 333 cases a day, a number that Colfax said is still high and a daily average that remains higher as a result of the holiday-fueled surge. With the inauguration fast approaching on Wednesday, Breed pleaded that Bay Area residents avoid large gatherings and celebrations. "We need to get through these next weeks safely…so please, please for the sake of at least being able to reopen this city by the spring, I am begging you all, no large gatherings," Breed said.