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There was a mad race across the Inland Empire to get COVID-19 vaccines from California on Wednesday, Jan.13, eligibility expanded to receive the vaccine.
The demand is so great that in less than two hours on Friday afternoon, Jan. 15, residents of Riverside County made all 11,000 available appointments for new immunization clinics. Web traffic overwhelmed the county’s vaccines website, causing the appointment page to freeze as people tried to access it.
Amidst the confusion and chaos, many have questions. Here are a few, along with answers:
Q: Who is eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine?
A: In Riverside County, people aged 65 and over, as well as law enforcement officers, teachers, food and agriculture workers, and emergency workers such as firefighters can now get the shot, county spokeswoman Brooke Federico said.
Food workers include grocery store employees, she said, as well as those who work in stores that sell a wide variety of other products, if grocery items are also sold. Details on who qualifies for the foodservice category can be found on this state website: https://covid19.ca.gov/search/?q=grocery#gsc.tab=0&gsc.q=grocery&gsc. page = 1
In San Bernardino County, those who are at least 65 years old can now get the shot, spokesman David Wert said.
However, Los Angeles County still only vaccinates healthcare workers and residents of long-term care facilities. Riverside and San Bernardino counties also fired shots at health workers and residents of care facilities.
Los Angeles County officials estimate they will begin vaccinating older people in early February. During this phase, people at risk of exposure in education, child care, emergency services and food and agriculture will also be offered photos.
Q: How do I plan a shot?
A: In Riverside and San Bernardino counties, people are encouraged to check the county vaccination websites – www.ruhealth.org/covid-19-vaccine in Riverside County and https://sbcovid19.com/vaccine / locations / in San Bernardino County – and sign up for an appointment when new immunization clinics are offered.
Registration is not yet available in Los Angeles County, but updates on who may be eligible for the vaccine are provided at VaccinateLACounty.com.
Q: What if I don’t have a computer or don’t know how to use the Internet?
A: Residents of Riverside County can call 211 for assistance registering for a county vaccination clinic.
Residents of San Bernardino County can call 909-387-3911 for assistance.
In Los Angeles County, those who do not have access to the Internet or are not comfortable using it can call the Los Angeles County 24-hour information line, 211.
Q: The immunization clinics are filling up so quickly that I couldn’t get an appointment. How do I know when the next round of clinics will take place?
A: San Bernardino County on Thursday launched a notification system that alerts people by email or text message, depending on their preferences, when more clinics are available, Wert said. “In just a few hours, 7,000 people signed up for these alerts,” he said.
Riverside County is working on setting up a similar alert system, Federico said. Los Angeles County residents can sign up for an email newsletter to get immunization updates at VaccinateLACounty.gov.
Q: Are there other places to get the vaccine?
A: Yes. For example, Kaiser Permanente added an appointment scheduling tool to its website – kp.org – on Friday, said Anamaria Bearden, spokesperson for the Riverside County Kaiser County service area. “We notify members when they are eligible for nominations,” she said.
Albertsons and Ralphs Pharmacies and Apple Urgent Care also provide vaccines in partnership with Riverside County. Vaccines are available at Sav-On and Vons health centers and pharmacies, among others, in San Bernardino County.
Q: What do I need to bring to a county immunization clinic to prove I’m eligible for a vaccine?
A: ID confirming age – driver’s license, passport, or state ID card – if you are 65 or older and live in Riverside County. Those who get vaccinated because they work in a vaccine-eligible job category may bring a work ID, pay stub or letter from their employer confirming their employment, Federico said.
In San Bernardino County, Wert said, residents should bring identification proving they are 65 or older.
Q: Can I come without an appointment?
A: No. Prior registration is required.
Q: Can I get the vaccine in a country other than the one I live in?
A: Generally speaking, no. But if you have a health care job in another county, you can get the vaccine in that county.
Q: Will the Inland Empire be offering mass vaccination sites such as Disneyland and Dodger Stadium?
A: San Bernardino County expects to announce a “super site” for large-scale vaccinations in the county next week, Wert said. Riverside County does not plan to do this, but instead focuses on providing as many vaccination sites as possible in different communities “because Riverside County is so large geographically,” Federico said.
Officials in all counties in the region are urging patience as they wait for more vaccine supplies to arrive. In Riverside County alone, Federico said, 700,000 people are now eligible for vaccines. Wert said he didn’t know how many were eligible in San Bernardino County, but the US Census Bureau estimates the county’s senior population at around 260,000 people.
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