California will distribute 40% of all vaccine doses to the most vulnerable neighborhoods in the state to vaccinate people at greatest risk by the coronavirus, with the latest revision of the state’s rules, the state announced Thursday.
Those who prefer the new system live in zip codes that fall into the lowest quartile of the state’s Healthy Places Index, which measures socio-economic opportunities. The areas are considered the most vulnerable on the basis of criteria such as household income, level of education and access to health care. Although race and ethnicity are not explicit factors, the postal codes overlap heavily with neighborhoods inhabited by higher populations of residents of Black, Latino and Asia Pacific.
Within these areas, there are about 8 million people who are eligible for shots. Many of the neighborhoods are in Los Angeles County and the Central Valley, which had the highest infection rates.
Ten Bay Area zip codes are on the list, with three in Alameda County, one in Contra Costa, two in San Francisco and four in Solano County.
Alameda County
Fruitvale, Oakland: 94601
East Oakland: 94621
East Oakland: 94603
Contra Costa
Richmond: 94801
San Francisco
Tenderloin: 94102
Treasure Island: 94130
Solano
Vallejo: 94590
Fairfield: 94535
Bird landing: 94512
Elmira: 95625
Government Gavin Newsom said at a Thursday press conference that the move was not only the right thing to do, but also important to open up more of the state’s economy.
‘It’s a race against the variants. It’s a race against exhaustion. “This is a race to open our economy safely and thoughtfully, and keep in mind that it should be an economy that does not leave people behind, that is truly inclusive,” Newsom said. He also encouraged people to wear two masks.
The announcement is the latest change in an evolving approach to vaccinating nearly 40 million California residents, contributing to the ongoing confusion among people seeking shots. The move to facilitate reopening also comes days after several states led by Republicans lifted COVID-19 restrictions, as the U.S. now has three vaccines available.
The reopening of the vaccination criteria has been welcomed by representatives of the legislative black and Latino caucuses, as well as social justice and equity groups. Latinos make up about half of the cases and deaths in California, though they are 39% of the population.
Setting aside 40% of the vaccine supply essentially means that the affected postcodes will administer double the doses compared to what is currently available. Data show that of the shots fired, only about 17% were fired in vulnerable communities excessively affected by the pandemic.
Associated Press contributed to this story.