The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is asking people to protect themselves and the community against COVID-19 this fall.

As the virus continues to mutate, public health officials are preparing for the possibility that new variants could contribute to another surge in the fall or winter. Authorities said it is important that residents take steps to reduce the risk of serious illness by being vaccinated, testing when symptomatic or exposed to people with COVID-19, and using therapeutics when appropriate.

Los Angeles County Director of Public Health Barbara Ferrer said it is particularly critical for residents who are older, have underlying health conditions or have many exposures at work or in the community to be fully vaccinated and boosted. As of Sept. 1, 57% of eligible residents age 5 and older have had a COVID-19 vaccine plus one additional dose or booster shot.

Vaccinations remain the best defense against severe COVID-19 illness, and new Pfizer and Moderna boosters that target the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants of Omicron were recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Residents and workers in L.A. County can receive the latest booster shots at  sites across the county. The booster shots will also be available at 12 Public Health Department sites, 701 mobile vaccine clinics and 245 community, pharmacy and clinic sites.

“As we transition from the summer to fall, we can follow simple health measures now to reduce the potential risk of a surge,” Ferrer said. “By being fully vaccinated and boosted, especially with the new boosters against the more infectious Omicron subvariants of the virus, we are helping to protect others in our communities, especially those at highest risk for severe consequences should they become infected. We are fortunate to have so many tools widely available across the county to help us protect each other. And while we are at a different stage in the pandemic, with lower case numbers and fewer individuals hospitalized, there are still thousands of residents that need our help staying well.”

To find a location offering COVID-19 vaccination booster shots, visit vaccinatelacounty.com.