Los Altos/Los Altos Hills vaccination rates top County charts

• Los Altos and Los Altos Hills have the highest COVID-19 bivalent booster rates in Santa Clara County
• The Los Altos School District and the City of Mountain View played a key role in making vaccination sites readily accessible for local residents
• County Supervisor Joe Simitian calls for the continuation of the County’s vaccination program to serve County residents who still need and want it

SAN JOSE – A recent review of Santa Clara County’s vaccination rates by city/town shows that Los Altos and Los Altos Hills top the charts for COVID-19 bivalent booster rates. As of March 19, 2023, 52.8% of residents in Los Altos had received the bivalent booster, while 50.3% of residents in Los Altos Hills had received theirs. Communities with high vaccination rates are expected to have an extra line of defense against the coronavirus.

“If there’s one thing we’ve learned, it’s that people will access the care they need and want if we make it quick, easy, and convenient,” said County Supervisor Joe Simitian, who serves as Chair of the County’s Health and Hospital Committee. “That’s why I thought it was so important that we have a North County vaccination center in Mountain View, which was geographically convenient for a number of the communities I represent.”

The bivalent booster protects against severe illness from both the original virus strain, as well as omicron and its contagious subvariants. The new shot was authorized near the end of August 2022 and was available in Santa Clara County shortly thereafter.

While 33.5% of County residents received their boosters, Los Altos and Los Altos Hills recorded the highest booster rates in the County, double the state rate (25.2%), and more than three times the national average (16.2%).

Several other West Valley and North County municipalities scored above the County average, including Palo Alto/Stanford (49.4%), Saratoga (47.8%), Monte Sereno (43.6%), Cupertino (42.6%), Mountain View (42%), and Los Gatos (41.1%).

Simitian credited the Los Altos School District and the City of Mountain View for partnering with the County to make vaccination sites readily accessible for residents in the North County and West Valley.

“Big thanks again to both the Los Altos School District, who shared their site on San Antonio Road and California Street, and to the City of Mountain View, who shared the Community Center on Rengstorff,” said Simitian. “These were great partnerships that allowed us to serve more people, more quickly, with good results.”

Simitian and Board colleague Otto Lee recently called for the continuation of the County’s vaccination program, to serve County residents who still need and want it, regardless of insurance, place of residence, or ability to pay. In making the proposal, Simitian noted that if the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends yearly COVID-19 vaccinations, there will likely be a continuing need for vaccination sites during the annual cold and flu season, necessitating County clinics to offer both flu and COVID vaccines at locations convenient for residents throughout the County.

County Administration is expected to report to the County’s Health and Hospital Committee on April 12 and the Board of Supervisors on April 18 with a plan to continue distribution of COVID-19 vaccines to those who want them.

To schedule a vaccine or booster, visit https://vax.sccgov.org/.