California officials on Wednesday announced a major expansion of vaccination guidelines, allowing all residents aged 65 and older to be eligible for COVID-19 vaccinations more quickly in response to new Trump administration guidance aimed at to accelerate the distribution of vaccines across the country.
The move indicates a fresh urgency to increase access to the vaccine amid rising cases. Orange County officials on Tuesday were the first to adopt the new rules.
“There is no higher priority than to distribute these vaccines as quickly and efficiently and fairly as possible to those who are experiencing the worst effects,” Gavin Newsom said on Wednesday. ‘Individuals 65 and older are now the next group to be able to start receiving vaccinations. It is the turn of those who have not yet been vaccinated. We are doing everything in our power to bring more vaccine into the state. ”
California officials have so far struggled to spread the allocation of vaccine doses. As of Monday, California had received more than 2.4 million doses of vaccine, but less than one-third had been administered. There was a lower-than-expected demand from healthcare workers and nursing homes who have the highest priority to receive the vaccines, with up to 40% rejecting the initial opportunity to be vaccinated.
In response, government officials expanded access to all health workers last week and relaxed guidelines for unused doses.
Newsom set an ambitious target last week to vaccinate another 1 million people in the ten days to 17 January.
Prior to the Los Angeles County State Announcement, pop-up messages were added to the registration website to warn people not to make appointments unless they were eligible. As of last week, LA County has received more than 490,990 vaccine doses, administering more than 145,620 first doses and more than 6,150 second doses.
California’s massive increase in COVID-19 cases has drawn attention to the handling of the vaccine supply by the state. Los Angeles County is approaching 1 million confirmed cases of coronavirus, meaning one in ten in the country was infected at some point during the pandemic. Overall, more than 2.7 million Californians tested positive.
Federal officials said the decision to qualify was an attempt to get states to act faster. U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar said Tuesday that states have simply moved too slowly and that life-saving vaccines must be eradicated immediately.
“This is now the most effective way to save lives,” Azar said, “and some countries’ heavy-handed micromanagement of this process has prevented the vaccine from reaching a wider section of the vulnerable population.”
According to federal guidelines, 65 and older must qualify for the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines. In addition, federal guidelines state that anyone between the ages of 16 and 64 with a documented medical condition must now also qualify.
Azar said state regulations restricting who is eligible hampered the speed and accessibility of the vaccines.
To use states to make vaccines more readily available, Azar said the federal government is giving two weeks notice that future doses will be released to states based on how effectively each uses his existing stock.
“It gives states a strong incentive to ensure that doses work to protect people, rather than sitting on shelves or freezers,” Azar said. “With the number of cases we now face, there is absolutely no time to waste.”
It looks like federal officials have asked to reconsider their plans. Previously, the state planned to allow individuals in certain work sectors, such as education and agriculture, along with adults 75 and older, to be followed by individuals 65 to 74. Under the new guidelines, the state lowers the age threshold to 65 years and older, which pushes that group to priority access.
However, the state would wait until the next level to enable individuals between the ages of 16 and 65 with medical conditions to be eligible for the vaccine.
The state’s restrictions on who is eligible for the vaccine and when it’s intended to secure the limited stock have been properly prioritized and that people cannot buy their way to the front of the queue. Newsom announced last week that the state would ease restrictions to ensure that vaccine can be offered to those in other lower-level groups, such as teachers, childcare staff and people over the age of 75, if there is a risk for the vaccine. decay.
The expansion of the election on Wednesday poses major challenges. Provinces in California are scrambling to find more health workers who can administer the shots, large facilities where vaccinations can be offered, and more of the vaccines themselves.
In Santa Clara County, officials say they have distributed the vaccine so successfully that they need more doses. The province has asked the state for 100,000 doses of more vaccines, but this week it was said that it would receive 6,000, said Dr. Jeff Smith, provincial executive, said. That would affect the country’s target, which begins next week, of 35,000 weekly vaccinations, he said.
The shifting pool of eligible candidates has hampered the province’s plans to distribute vaccines.
“We get confusing and inconsistent messages,” Smith said.
Some members of the state’s vaccination advisory committee at a meeting on Tuesday expressed concern that individuals facing other vulnerabilities could be lost with the focus on age. Others have expressed concern that individuals at risk, including essential workers, could be overlooked as the doors open to a larger pool of eligible vaccines.
“If you add this large group of people, you do not have enough vaccine,” said Carol Green of California’s parent educators. said at the meeting.
Times staff writer Taryn Luna contributed to this report.