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Several million more Californians have qualified for a coveted COVID-19 vaccine as of Monday, but limited supply restrictions mean they and previously eligible residents will have a harder time making appointments. you than others.
On Monday, the state expanded vaccine eligibility to include the homeless, transit workers and the most important category – people between the ages of 16 and 64 “who are considered to be most at risk of morbidity and mortality due to COVID-19 ”.
The list of “high risk” conditions and disabilities that qualify a person for the next phase of vaccination includes cancer, pregnancy, stage 4 kidney disease, oxygenated lung disease, Down syndrome, sickle cell anemia, coronary artery disease. , severe diabetes, Type 2 diabetes and weakened immune system by a solid organ transplant.
This latest phase of the vaccine rollout in California adds an additional 4 to 6 million people to the current list of Californians eligible for the vaccine, bringing the total to 17 million to 19 million – about half the state.
But based on current allocation projections, it will take some time for California to meet this demand.
In Santa Clara County, for example, appointments for vaccines available through the county’s health system have been full for more than a week. New appointments for the first dose could not be made last week and people will not be able to make them this week, according to a county spokesperson.
The county couldn’t say when it planned to reopen appointment bookings for the first dose, only that it “will depend on supplies provided each week.”
San Mateo County this week will host four days of clinics only for second-dose appointments and will offer limited first-dose clinics for the homeless and incarcerated, as well as targeted outreach of the health plan. San Mateo to its members and to the San Mateo Medical Center. to other eligible patients.
A first-dose clinic scheduled for Saturday at the San Mateo County Events Center could vaccinate 2,300 people, prioritizing eligible essential occupations such as teachers and transit workers and some residents who qualify in categories to risk, according to spokesperson Will Harper.
Sutter Health, which earlier this month had to cancel 95,000 second-dose vaccine appointments due to its supply shortage, is prioritizing rescheduled second-dose appointments for anyone who has been canceled . First-dose appointments, including those deemed high-risk, have been largely on hold now.
“Where our supply or county allocations allow, we have been open to new first-dose appointments, but at this time we are still not widely open to new first-dose appointments,” one wrote. Sutter Health spokesperson in a statement.
Kaiser Permanente, which vaccinates both members and non-members, announced Monday that “supply permitting” he is starting to reach out and offer appointments to members aged 16 to 64. who are at high risk of complications from COVID-19 based on their medical history.
Meanwhile, in Contra Costa County, residents of high-risk groups have a better chance of making appointments.
Contra Costa’s federally qualified community health centers, such as Lifelong Medical and La Clinica, received 14,000 doses of vaccines from the federal government on Monday. Officials book about 80% of appointments for second doses and offer the remaining 20% for first doses.
On Monday, the county was setting appointments for a week but still had thousands of openings, according to spokesman Scott Alonso.
“We want to stress for people interested in getting the vaccine to sign up anywhere and everywhere you can and not to give up if it takes a while,” Alonso said.
In addition to county health departments, eligible Californians can request immunization appointments from their health care provider, local pharmacies, community pop-up clinics, or the state’s My Turn website at myturn.ca.gov.
In the last phase, people are basically asked to adhere to some sort of honor system when signing up for dates.
New state guidelines released on Friday allow people with underlying illnesses or disabilities to simply declare that they are eligible without having to disclose their condition or display any evidence. Although some have expressed fears the system could be abused, disability advocates say it will remove additional burdens that could make it more difficult for some people to access an appointment, especially those with disabilities. intellectual.
Charise Hill, 34, of Sacramento, has been advocating for months for local and state authorities to prioritize people with high-risk illnesses and disabilities. Hill, who uses the pronouns they / them, is diagnosed with axial spondyloarthritis – an inflammatory arthritis disease typically treated with drugs known to suppress the immune system – and barely left home last year.
“I have a lot of mixed emotions,” Hill said in an interview Monday. “It’s exciting that we’re finally here, but it’s also filled with residual anger for the state for so long refusing to prioritize us as it should have done from the start.”
Using the state’s MyTurn website, Hill got a first date on Thursday. Fearing they might be turned down even if the state lets people vouch for themselves, Hill also obtained a letter from a doctor declaring their eligibility.
“It has been quite confusing navigating all of this, trying to figure out when we actually come on schedule, who qualifies and will I have to prove my disability in some way?” Hill said. “Our job isn’t done until everyone knows they’re eligible and how to get an appointment.”
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