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Anyone 16 and older living in L.A. can get the COVID-19 vaccine this weekend, while supplies last

A medical student loads a syringe with the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine
Liesl Eibschutz, a medical student from Dartmouth University, loads a syringe with Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine before administering it to people earlier this month at Kedren Health in Los Angeles.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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Anyone 16 and older living or working in Los Angeles County can get vaccinated without an appointment this weekend at county-run COVID-19 vaccination sites.

County public health officials said walk-in vaccinations would be available this weekend as long as supplies last.

The move came as the county also lifted suspension of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, after the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration concluded it was safe and effective.

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Providers in L.A. County were cleared to resume administering the Johnson & Johnson vaccine Saturday, provided they distributed updated fact sheets on the vaccine, county health officials said.

Federal health authorities had paused the single-dose vaccine for review after cases of a rare and perplexing clotting disorder developed among a handful of recipients. The number of clotting cases rose to 15 when safety experts reviewed records of adverse reactions.

“We are grateful to the scientists and clinicians conducting this thorough review and are confident moving forward in distributing and administering the vaccine,” the county Public Health Department said.

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Overall, 48% of L.A. County residents 16 and older have received at least one dose of vaccine, and 30% of residents have been fully vaccinated. Three-quarters of those 65 and older have received at least one dose, and 60% have been fully vaccinated.

The number of COVID-19 deaths in the county has continued to decline, with 16 reported Saturday. The county also reported 443 new confirmed coronavirus cases.

“It is more important than ever for everyone who is eligible to be vaccinated to look over the information about vaccine safety and make an appointment as soon as you can,” county Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said.

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The CDC recently confirmed that fewer than 0.007% of the nearly 90 million Americans with full protection against the coronavirus have been infected, the county reported, adding that new evidence from federal researchers also shows that the COVID-19 vaccination appears to be safe during pregnancy.

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