Gov. Gavin Newsom visited a Bay Area health clinic Wednesday morning and provided an update on statewide COVID-19 vaccinations as well as booster shots for those eligible.
Newsom and Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf received their booster shots at the Asian Health Services clinic in Oakland where the governor addressed vaccine concerns such as mixing and matching, side effects, vaccine eligibility and the upcoming holiday season.
Back in April, Newsom got the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, administered by Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly. This time, the governor received a booster shot dose of the Moderna vaccine.
"I’m choosing not to do J&J today not because I had any problems with J&J, it went beautifully, but to make the point about the opportunity to mix and match," he said.
Anyone who received the J&J vaccine at least two months ago can get a booster shot now. The governor said the state is focusing on giving booster shots to people 65 and older, and those with underlying health conditions.
However, some people like Oakland resident Mae Liu feel safer by sticking to their initial vaccine dose.
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"I think I’m going to stick with the Pfizer," she said.
Gov. Newsom is advising residents not to wait until the holiday season is over to receive their booster shot.
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"We all remember what occurred last winter," he said in reference to the 2020 holiday spike in COVID-19 cases that got California to 6,000 cases. By late December last year, positive cases tripled reaching 54,000.
"I think it’s going to be a good idea because there are going to be a lot of gatherings so as I say, I plan to get mine in November before the holidays," Liu told NBC Bay Area.
As of Wednesday, nearly 24.7 million Californians, or 72.7%, were fully vaccinated, and more than 2.6 million were partially vaccinated, according to the state's COVID-19 web page.
The state's chart also indicates nearly 2 million people have received a booster shot in California.
