PHILADELPHIA – The Philadelphia Department of Public Health today reported an additional 11,899 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in Philadelphia since last reported on Thursday, October 21. This brings the total number of fully vaccinated Philadelphians to at least 883,593, and the number of Philadelphians with at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine to at least 1,080,413. Currently, 71.2 percent of Philadelphia adults are fully vaccinated, and 87 percent of Philadelphia adults have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine.

Currently, all residents 12 and older are eligible to be vaccinated in Philadelphia. Among all eligible Philadelphians ages 12 and older, 65.9 percent are fully vaccinated, and 80.6 percent have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine.

The Department of Health reports 179 patients with COVID-19 are currently being treated in Philadelphia hospitals, with a total of 22 on ventilators.

In the last two weeks, 1.9 percent of COVID-19 tests in Philadelphia have come back positive. Thus far during the pandemic, 167,641 Philadelphians have been diagnosed with COVID-19, and 3,934 have succumbed to the virus. Philadelphia is averaging 209 new cases of COVID-19 per day over the last two weeks.

Health Department Updates COVID Vaccine Booster Guidance: Last week, the U.S. FDA and CDC approved new guidance on COVID vaccine booster doses. Previously, vaccine boosters were only available to certain high-risk people who had completed their initial vaccine series at least six months ago. The newest guidance now also recommends booster doses for people who received Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccines.

People who are recommended to get booster doses should have received their second dose of either Pfizer or Moderna vaccine at least six months ago and are either:

  • 65 or older or live in a nursing home, or
  • Are aged 50-64 with underlying medical conditions that put them at risk of serious complications from COVID-19.

The CDC also said that some other higher-risk people should consider getting a booster dose of Pfizer vaccine at least six months after their second dose. These people include:

  • People who are age 18 to 49 who have underlying medical conditions, and
  • People who work in higher-risk jobs like healthcare workers, teachers, or in other higher-risk occupational or institutional settings.

People who got Johnson & Johnson’s single dose vaccine are still considered fully vaccinated but should get a booster dose two months after their shot.

The CDC has recommended that people who are eligible for a booster dose can receive a booster of any brand of vaccine. If you have questions about which brand might be best for you, talk with your regular healthcare provider.

For more information on boosters, the Health Department has updated their blog post on the topic.

Health Department Issues Guidance on How to Celebrate Halloween Safely:  In new guidance being posted to the City’s COVID website, the Health Department has said that it is possible to be safe from COVID while trick-or-treating or holding Halloween parties or gatherings this year. The most important recommendation for both situations is to be outside and avoid large crowds.

Trick-or-treaters should not go into other people’s homes, and should wear a surgical or cloth mask. Halloween masks are not protective from COVID, and the face mask should not go on top of a Halloween mask. Try to avoid crowds of trick-or-treaters, including at the treat-giver. Consider alternative ways to distribute candy, such as laying out individual treats on a table or on a fence. Trick-or-treaters and treat-givers should wash their hands with soap and water or hand sanitizer frequently, and if anyone is sick, they should not be trick-or-treating or giving out treats.

Holiday parties should be kept small and outdoors. If an event must be indoors, masks should be required when the vaccination status of all attendees is not known.

For more information on ways to keep you Halloween COVID-free, see the Health Department’s latest blog post.

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