On Thursday, teachers and staff in the Los Gatos Union School District received a tantalizing offer in their email: a COVID-19 vaccine ahead of schedule.
According to the investigative newspaper San Jose Spotlight, the Good Samaritan Hospital in Los Gatos District Superintendent Paul Johnson and staff offered the vaccine as a “gesture” of kindness after the district raised funds for a program to provide meals to frontline workers.
“The general manager of the hospital says that we can access the appointments … and is finished [Los Gatos schools] staff to report under the health care buttons, “reads a letter from Johnson to district staff. Educators are part of Phase 1B in California and Santa Clara County, behind frontline staff, nursing home residents and 65 and older.
Teachers were emailed to mimic health workers – with the approval of CEO Gary Purushotham, despite the threat of perjury – to gain access to the vaccine. “Remember to register under health care initially,” reads the note from Johnson.
The district did not immediately respond to a request for comment from SFGATE.
Now Santa Clara County is withholding vaccinations from the hospital after the offer was extended and an estimated 65 doses were offered to district teachers and staff.
According to a letter from the province that SFGATE obtained, dr. Marty Fenstersheib, the province’s COVID-19 vaccine officer, said the hospital’s actions were “contrary to the letter and spirit” of California’s vaccination protocol. It also created confusion, he claimed, “causing other educators to expect vaccinations understandably but incorrectly.
Santa Clara County is offering second doses to those who received their first shot at the Good Samaritan. But “any additional doses,” he warned, would be withheld “unless and until the Good Samaritan provides adequate reassurance, it will follow the state and province’s guidelines on vaccine admission.”
The Good Samaritan currently has just over 6,500 doses of first and second vaccination, according to a provincial panel.
Fenstersheib also suggested that the vaccine be offered as something of a quid pro quo, which rewards school district employees who provided fundraisers who helped the Good Samaritan employees, rather than to older educators or those from areas of the country with a high incidence of COVID. -19. “
(In a follow-up email sent to Spotlight by teachers, Johnson, the superintendent, denied Quid pro quo’s allegations.)
Good Samaritan CEO Joe DeSchryver issued an apology on Saturday, saying the hospital was “wrong” that the decision to extend their vaccine distribution was in line with state and provincial recommendations. to avoid wasting the stock that has already been thawed. . “
But at that point, Spotlight reported, the hospital barely had adequate doses for hospital workers, other frontliners and individuals 75 years or older.
“We are committed to working with the province on a plan to ensure we have clarity and compliance with state and province guidelines on vaccine admission, which we did before this incident,” he said. DeSchryver added. “In addition, we review our processes and systems to ensure that this does not happen again.”
The hospital did not immediately respond to a request for comment from SFGATE.
As of Monday, California has dispensed more than 2.3 million vaccines – 47% of the doses currently available.