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Some essential Los Angeles County workers, including teachers, will become eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccines starting March 1, but will likely face competition as supplies are expected to remain limited.
The next pool of eligible Angelenos includes educators and educators; food and agriculture workers, which include grocery store employees; and law enforcement personnel and other emergency responders.
“We are planning to open a lot of different sites and set up special sites, what we call closed sites for all of these areas on March 1,” said LA County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer. , during a briefing.
More than 1.3 million people belong to these groups. About 2.2 million people in LA County who work in the healthcare industry, live in long-term care facilities, or are 65 and older are already eligible for vaccination.
Given the large number of people who need to be vaccinated, “we’re all still going to need a lot of patience here,” Ferrer said.
This is especially the case as LA County, like the state and the nation, continues to face frustrating limitations in terms of vaccine supply.
Last week, LA County received 219,700 doses – its largest shipment yet, but still a relative drop in the bucket for a county of around 10 million people.
The two available vaccines, one from Pfizer-BioNTech and the other from Moderna, require two injections, three and four weeks apart, respectively.
Faced with tight supplies, the county has had to limit the number of people who can receive the initial doses to ensure they can receive their second injection on time.
But Ferrer said the county would be able to work on much of that queue early next month.
“This will allow us to take doses that now go for a second dose appointment and put them back into the community for first dose appointments,” she said. “And that allows us to have many more doses available as we expand the eligibility for those who can get the vaccine.”
So far, more than 1.5 million doses of the vaccine have been administered in the county, according to the California Department of Public Health.
About 38% of LA County residents aged 65 and over – about 537,895 out of more than 1.4 million people – have received their first dose of the vaccine, county supervisor Hilda Solis said on Tuesday.
“Right now our biggest constraint is vaccine supply,” she said. “And as we move forward, more and more residents are becoming eligible to be vaccinated. It is essential that the county receive more vaccines to meet this significant demand. “
LA County isn’t alone in dealing with vaccine shortages or racking up available supplies for second doses. Health officials across the state have encountered similar limitations.
This problem is expected to continue this week.
“Our city has the tools, the infrastructure and the determination to vaccinate the Angelenos quickly and safely – we just need more doses,” Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said in a statement Monday.
San Francisco has been forced to temporarily suspend operations at its Moscone Center and City College vaccination sites due to cutbacks in supplies, a public health statement said on Sunday.
And the pool of people eligible for vaccination is expected to expand even further next month. Starting March 15, people aged 16 to 64 who are disabled or at high risk of morbidity and mortality from COVID-19 will be able to receive vaccinations in California – increasing the total number of residents who can receive the vaccines by 17 to 20 million. .
But officials warn it will be difficult to secure a photo until more supplies become available.
Times editor Colleen Shalby contributed to this report.
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