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Getting the first dose of the coronavirus vaccine is hard enough. But what about the second shot?
That’s a question on the minds of residents of Inland who are fortunate enough to be given the first of two injections needed for maximum protection against COVID-19. With the second dose recommended for at least 21 or 28 days after the first, many who have received the first injection wonder when or if they will receive the next one.
Jason Bowen, a 48-year-old high school teacher from Menifee – teachers can be vaccinated in Riverside County – received his first dose of Moderna vaccine on January 19 from the Riverside County Public Health Department.
“As for the second dose, my only concern is that it will be available when I need to take the second shot and can make an appointment,” Bowen said via a direct message on Twitter. “Otherwise it’s a waste of time and I have to start all over again.”
Bowen thinks the county should have an automatic registration process or a separate website for those who need a second dose “because I know the one where I took my first dose fills up quickly.”
Officials in Riverside, San Bernardino and Los Angeles counties said plans were underway to distribute second doses. And doctors say it doesn’t matter if the second injection comes after three to four weeks.
“The county is working on clinics and appointment slots specifically for second doses,” Riverside County spokeswoman Brooke Federico said via email. “The county’s first vaccination clinics were held in mid-January, which will make these second-dose appointments scheduled for mid-February. Once these clinics are available, we will notify residents via email and website updates. “
When asked if the county is reserving doses to be administered as a second vaccine, Federico replied, “Yes, but not until future allocations are received. We are not reserving our current allocations to use weeks later for second doses ”as directed by the California Department of Public Health.
She added, “We will book second dose appointments and notify these residents when these clinics and appointments become available.”
San Bernardino County is reserving second doses – 6,679 to be exact, with an additional 7,200 seconds expected this week, County spokesman David Wert said by email on Monday, Jan.25.
“People who receive the first doses receive an email alerting them of the need for their second dose and they can make an appointment online or by calling the county COVID hotline,” Wert said.
San Bernardino County CEO Leonard Hernandez announced at a supervisory board meeting on Tuesday January 26 that the county will open a dedicated site for people to receive the second dose starting Thursday January 28 – Arroyo Valley High School in San Bernardino.
“For his first few days, he will only give second doses,” Hernandez said.
And starting at the end of the week, people who sign up for a vaccine through the San Bernardino County portal will automatically get an appointment for the second dose at the same time, he said.
Wert pointed out that most of the injections are given by providers other than the county and he was not sure how they handled the second doses.
In Los Angeles County, second-dose appointments were prioritized with first-dose recipients. The problem, officials said, is that they don’t know exactly how many doses will be delivered each week.
“We want to be very careful because we cannot predict the supply chain even several weeks in advance,” said Dr. Paul Simon, scientific director of the LA County Department of Public Health, Friday January 22. “There is this tension. between getting that many people vaccinated with that first dose and trying to make sure that everyone vaccinated receives the full sequence for two doses. “
With far more demand for vaccines than supply, just getting the first dose is hard.
It took just 32 minutes for 10,000 appointments at Riverside County vaccination clinics to be claimed on Saturday, January 23. In the same period of time, 3,900 appointments were made on January 21. that no one answered the 211 telephone line, that the officials responsible for helping the elderly and those without Internet access make an appointment.
Others said they filled out forms online, only to find that no appointments were available. On Thursday, Jan.21, county officials announced they were revamping the dating website, but it still relies on a state registration portal that frustrates users filling out online forms, to learn that all appointments have been made.
Pfizer recommends that the second injection of its vaccine be given 21 days after the first dose. The other vaccine maker, Moderna, recommends a 28-day interval between the first and second vaccines.
In a Jan. 21 video posted to the Riverside County Public Health Facebook page, Dr Geoffrey Leung of Riverside University Health System – the Riverside County Health Care Network – said it was okay to do it. vaccinate later.
“A lot of people worry that if they don’t get their second dose right after three weeks or four weeks… they’re going to have problems,” Leung said. “And that’s actually not true… you can have that second dose anytime, three weeks or four weeks or after.”
In guidelines released on January 21, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offered some leeway over how quickly the second dose should be received. It’s okay to get the second shot up to six weeks after the first, CDC officials said.
While “every effort” should be made to ensure that the same brand of vaccine is used for both doses, “in exceptional situations where the first dose vaccine cannot be determined or is no longer available. , any available COVID-19 mRNA vaccine can be given at a minimum 28-day interval between doses, ”the CDC added.
California Governor Gavin Newsom on Monday promised a more transparent coronavirus vaccination system that should make it easier for nearly 40 million residents to know when it’s their turn to get vaccinated and where to get vaccinated. register, alleviating some of the confusion and angst in 58 counties. try to deploy the rare blows themselves.
The state would move to an age-based eligibility system after immunizing those now on the front lines, including healthcare workers, food and agriculture workers, teachers, emergency personnel and people aged 65 and over, the governor said at a press briefing. The changes also include a new statewide site called My Turn – now a pilot program in Los Angeles and San Diego counties – where residents can be notified when it’s their turn and make an appointment. you.
Editors David Rosenfeld and Ryan Hagen and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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