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COVID-19 vaccines have entered the arms of Californians at a record pace this week, a promising acceleration that comes even as officials continue to warn of limited supplies in the near future and the state stubbornly behind schedule by compared to many others in terms of how much doses are being distributed.
The past five days have seen the five highest single-day totals in terms of hits distributed statewide, according to data compiled by The Times. During that time, nearly 2 million doses were administered statewide – including 344,489 on Thursday alone.
The recent torrent of vaccinations, however, belies the major challenge that has and will continue to hamper the race to vaccinate as many Californians as quickly as possible, at least for the immediate future: a shortage of supplies.
“We don’t have enough vaccines. I could double the capacity today if you get me these vaccines, ”Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said on Friday in an interview with Dr. Howard Koh, professor at Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health.
These disruptions in vaccine flow persist even as California expands the pool of eligible residents.
Where are we on vaccinations?
California received 1.7 million doses of the vaccine last week, according to Governor Gavin Newsom. This allocation has increased slightly to 1.75 million this week and is expected to be 1.8 million next week.
While increasing slightly, shipments of this size would likely not be enough for the state to maintain the vaccination rate seen in recent days.
To date, nearly 13.8 million vaccines have been administered statewide – about 78% of the total supply that has been delivered to local public health units and medical providers, according to the health department. public of California.
Two of the vaccines approved for use in the United States – one from Pfizer-BioNTech and the other from Moderna – require two doses, given weeks apart. The third, from Johnson & Johnson, only requires one.
How does that compare nationally?
To date, 23.5% of Californians have received at least one dose of the vaccine – a proportion that ranks 33rd out of all U.S. states and territories, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
By comparison, 31.4% of New Mexico’s population has received at least one vaccine, as have 29.6% of Alaskans and 29% of those who live in South Dakota.
California is measured better than the more populous states. As of Friday, 24.3% of residents had received an injection in Pennsylvania, 24.2% in New York, 22.2% in Florida and 20.9% in Texas, according to CDC data.
Nationwide, 23.3% of Americans have received at least one dose and 12.6% of the country’s total population is fully vaccinated, according to the CDC.
About 11.8% of all Californians have been fully vaccinated.
California is a little ahead of the national curve when it comes to immunizing its older residents. According to the CDC, about 71.9% of residents aged 65 and older have received at least one dose, compared to 67.1% nationally.
What does the pipeline look like?
Officials have expressed optimism about the growth of vaccine stocks in the coming weeks, especially as shipments of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which have been interrupted by production issues, are starting to arrive on a regular basis.
“You heard it from the president himself. The CEOs responsible for making these vaccines have told you that we’ll be in a completely different location in about six weeks, as we’re seeing a significant increase in the supply of manufactured goods, ”Newsom said in a briefing Tuesday.
President Biden said last week that restrictions on who can make an appointment for a COVID-19 vaccine would be lifted across the country by May 1, as the supply is expected to be sufficient to meet the demand. request.
The US Department of Health and Human Services has since issued an official order to this effect, according to Andy Slavitt, senior advisor to the president’s COVID-19 task force.
“Even as we take steps to expand vaccine eligibility before May 1, we continue to emphasize to states the importance of prioritizing vaccinations for high-risk populations,” he said during the meeting. ‘a briefing on Wednesday.
Who is eligible now?
Almost half of all Californians – including adults 65 and older, healthcare workers, educators, people incarcerated or living in homeless shelters, essential workers such as those in the food industry or emergency services, transit workers and janitors, and 16 residents and seniors who have disabilities or underlying health issues – are eligible for the vaccine.
The list is not exhaustive, as the state continues to offer specifications to determine who qualifies in the various categories.
How do you get the vaccine?
Californians with disabilities or with eligible underlying health conditions do not need to present documentation of their condition to join the immunization queue. Instead, everyone will be required to self-certify that they meet the criteria.
This allowance clears up the confusion about how high-risk individuals can prove their eligibility. Advocates have long lobbied for a process that would not create unnecessary obstacles, especially for those who are less mobile or intellectually disabled.
The guidelines essentially place a burden of trust on residents to accurately represent their eligibility. However, some officials have expressed concern that the lenient rules could be ready to be abused by those looking to cut the line.
These concerns do not come out of nowhere. Throughout the deployment, some people tampered with documents and incorrectly used pass codes intended for high-risk communities to try and drag photos before their turn.
Officials are urging residents to work with their health care providers to get vaccinated.
“Check with your regular healthcare professional first to see if they have any vaccines and appointments available. Healthcare providers who have vaccines may also begin to contact you, as a patient with significant and high-risk illness or disability known to the provider, to schedule your vaccine appointment ” , the state said.
Other options include local pharmacies, local health departments, community pop-up clinics, or using the My Turn website. Access details can be found:
- Online at myturn.ca.gov. The MyTurn site is accessible to people with disabilities and in eight languages: English, Spanish, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean and Japanese.
- Or by calling the COVID-19 hotline at (833) 422-4255 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday to Friday or 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
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