{View as Webpage}

December 9, 2022

Special Flu and COVID-19 Bivalent Booster Vaccination Event for Employees

AltaMed will host a special employee vaccination event offering both the flu and COVID-19 bivalent booster vaccines.

The event will be held on Wednesday, December 14 from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at AltaMed Corporate (2040 Camfield Ave., in Commerce, Rooms 120 and 123). Employees who have not yet received their vaccines are invited to attend.

Appointments are required — please click on the link to schedule your appointment.

• Make Your Appointment (English)
• Make Your Appointment (Spanish)

If you received vaccinations outside of AltaMed, send proof to Employee Health so they can update their records.

COVID-19 and Children

On Friday, December 9, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) expanded the use of updated (bivalent) COVID-19 vaccines for children aged six months through five years.

• Children aged six months through five years, who previously completed a Moderna primary series, are eligible to receive a Moderna bivalent booster two months after their final primary series dose.
• Note: AltaMed will only have the Moderna bivalent boosters for patients six months to five years.
• Children aged six months through four years, who are currently completing a Pfizer primary series, will receive a Pfizer bivalent vaccine as their third primary dose.

Updated COVID-19 vaccines are formulated to protect against some of the more recently circulating viruses. Most importantly, COVID-19 vaccines are critical to providing ongoing protection as immunity wanes and the virus continues to mutate.

The vast majority of children in this age group have not received any doses of a COVID-19 vaccine. Parents should talk to their child’s health care provider to ensure their child is up-to-date on their COVID-19 and other vaccines.

More on the Bivalent Boosters

Previously on Wednesday, October 12, the CDC issued recommendations for COVID-19 boosters after the FDA authorized updated booster formulas from both Pfizer and Moderna. The CDC recommended that everyone who is eligible stay up-to-date on vaccinations by getting an updated booster dose at least two months after their last COVID-19 shot — either since their last booster dose or since completing their primary series.

Again, these new boosters contain an updated bivalent formula that both boosts immunity against the original coronavirus strain and also protects against the newer Omicron variants that account for most of the current cases. Updated boosters are intended to provide optimal protection against the virus and address waning vaccine effectiveness over time.

Eligible individuals can get either the Pfizer or Moderna updated booster, regardless of whether their primary series or most recent dose was with Pfizer, Moderna, Novavax, or Johnson & Johnson.

Medications Available to Treat COVID-19

AltaMed has COVID-19 testing and medications available for employees and patients. If you have COVID-19 symptoms or aren’t sure and need to be tested, please contact Employee Health.

Employees, who have tested positive for COVID-19, need to see their primary care provider for advice and treatment recommendations. Oral medications are available and must be taken within five days of your first COVID-19 symptoms.

For employees who are AltaMed patients, schedule an appointment by calling the Patient Service Center at (888) 499-9303. You can also make an appointment through your MyAltaMed account.

Staying Healthy During the Holidays

• Avoid getting sick.
• Get vaccinated.
• Wear your mask indoors and outside of your home (kids, too, while indoors at school).
• Wash your hands for the full 20 seconds and carry hand sanitizer.
• Avoid shaking hands, kissing, and hugging (say hello with an elbow bump).
• Test before you go. Test, at a minimum, the day of your event; consider also two days ahead.
• Stay home if you are feeling ill.
• Wear a mask around everyone.
• Protect those at risk.
• Babies, especially those younger than six months, should be kept home and away from hugging and kissing relatives.
• Older adults are recommended to wear a mask, get vaccinated, and follow hand hygiene protocols.
• Improve the ventilation/filtration in your home or gathering area; consider a decrease in crowding indoors.
• If someone gets sick, have a plan for testing and treatment ASAP.

Questions and Communications

We welcome your COVID-19 or infection prevention questions, suggestions, and input. Please email us — click here. Know that this is a safe space and most questions will be answered individually prior to being shared anonymously with staff.

How to Stay Informed

• Town Square home page
• altamed.org/vaccine

Please Note: If you are contacted by the media with questions about the coronavirus outbreak or for any other reason, email Christina Sanchez, Vice President, Public Affairs. The Public Relations team monitors all media coverage of AltaMed (social and traditional platforms) to uphold our reputation. If you have questions and concerns regarding media coverage, call Christina at (310) 420-1135. If you would like to read news releases from AltaMed, visit our external website, AltaMed.org under Newsroom.