Marin’s Unvaxxed 'Primary Drivers' Of New Cases: Health Officer

MARIN COUNTY, CA — The small minority of eligible Marin residents who have not yet been vaccinated account for the vast majority of new COVID-19 cases.

That’s according to Marin Health Officer Dr. Matt Willis, who described the disparity Tuesday during a presentation before the county’ Board of Supervisors.

Willis offered a generally upbeat assessment of the pandemic locally, noting that the delta-fueled fourth wave that has overwhelmed the health care systems in many parts of the country in recent weeks is starting to peter out in one of the nation’s most vaccinated counties.

As of Wednesday, 91.2 percent of eligible Marin residents 12 years of age and older have completed their vaccine series and 97.6 percent of county residents have received at least one jab, according to the county's vaccination dashboard.

Marin tops the state with 76.7 percent of all residents (including those under 12) fully vaccinated, and the North Bay county ranks ninth in the nation among all counties (regardless of population), The New York Times reports.

Marin was the nation's most vaccinated county among those with a population over 250,000 according to data compiled earlier this year by The San Francisco Chronicle.

Marin’s high vaccination rate has reduced community spread, Willis said, noting the county’s seven-day average for new cases is about 18 per day, the lowest the county has experienced since mid-July.

Willis echoed the view of President Joe Biden, among others, that the U.S. is now experiencing a “pandemic of the unvaccinated” during Tuesday’s presentation.

“People who are unvaccinated still are the primary drivers of case rates,” Willis said Tuesday.

“Our case rates among vaccinated individuals are four per 100,000, and it’s about four times that for people who are unvaccinated.”

Willis announced a new special clinic would open Wednesday at Northgate mall offering booster shots during his first presentation since the FDA issued new guidance on third jabs of the Pfizer vaccine.

The FDA recommends booster shots for all over 65 years of age, those with underlying medical conditions that put them at higher risk, and essential workers including first responders and grocery store workers who are at higher risk of contracting the virus.

Willis said the county is readying to administer jabs to children aged 5 to 11 once the FDA grants emergency use authorization for that age group, which figures to bring Marin closer to the herd immunity that health officers worldwide covet.

But Willis cautioned that Marin is not there yet, noting that 20 percent of the county’s population is not yet eligible for the vaccine.

“Schools remain a fragile environment,” Willis said.

“We know that people who are vaccinated can be infected and infect others. That is the argument for continuing some level of protection.”