Gray area of ​​new California vaccine eligibility list could benefit people with underlying health conditions

SAN FRANCISCO – On February 12, California Director of Health Dr Mark Ghaly announced that people aged 16 to 64 with severe disabilities or chronic health conditions will be prioritized for future COVID-19 vaccines .

The expansion of eligibility listed only those the state classified as “highest risk,” including people with cancer, heart disease and severe obesity, among others.

But if you keep scrolling down the list, it also includes “those at risk of developing serious or fatal illness from COVID,” and California officials are advising healthcare providers to use their best clinical judgment.

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The announcement left a lot of underlying health issues wondering if they were overqualified.

“I live with axial spondyloarthritis, an inflammatory disease that affects my whole body,” says disabled activist Charis Hill.

Hill has been isolating himself from the rest of the world for fear of catching COVID-19 for a year.

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“Based on my personal past, the most contagious hit me really hard,” says Hill. “Last year I went to the emergency room three times because of infections that I couldn’t fight at home. They and I know that infections pose a serious risk to me, whether it’s like strep throat. or COVID. “

ABC7 special correspondent Dr Alok Patel said he was receiving messages from Californians who fear their underlying medical condition is not represented in this high-risk group.

“My gut tells me that there might be some discretion at the provider level. To say, ‘Hey, you’re not in those disease categories listed, but you’re still immunosuppressed or you’re still at high risk,’ explains Dr Patel.

This is the gray area that worries some Californian doctors: wondering what influence they will have in deciding who gets vaccinated.

Dr Nadine Burke Harris, leading spokesperson for public health issues in California, said supply was still limited.

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“It’s really crucial that providers exercise a fair amount of recognition of the scarcity of supply to ensure that those who are most at risk are able to get vaccinated,” adds Dr Burke Harris.

This thought leaves many people with underlying health issues wondering if the condition will ultimately give them priority.

“Personally, I think I qualify,” says Hill. “But there are no instructions to prove that I qualify under these 3 stipulations.”

The expansion of the state’s eligibility list will take effect on March 15.

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