On Monday, Californians between the ages of 16 and 64 with underlying conditions could receive the coronavirus vaccine, which adds 4.4 million people to the list of eligible people. This is a population that is particularly vulnerable at any age to suffer the worst disease, officials said.
But it will also be ‘challenging’, officials said, referring to a liberal screening process designed to balance the need to verify a person’s condition with the urgency of vaccinating as many people as possible.
Officials warn that this simply does not mean you will get a chance immediately because the election starts on Monday. While inventory increases at hundreds of clinics, pharmacies, mobile sites and pods, it remains limited.
Remember, vaccines are still being given to millions of health workers, the elderly, frontline workers and teachers, who are preferred in the early stages of implementation.
In Los Angeles County alone, for example, 2 million people with underlying conditions will be eligible next week, officials said Friday.
The big question expressed concern about the extent to which people would be properly screened, and whether people would jump under the guise of a medical condition.
For those who receive a vaccine under this qualification, provincial officials have said they encourage documentation of a condition, but it is not necessary. Instead, the minimum threshold was that the resident testify that he or she is at high risk or has a disability that puts them at risk.
“We definitely hope that people will not try to take advantage of the situation,” said Dr. Paul Simon, department of public health, scientific officer in LA County said. ‘We do not feel it is realistic for our community site staff to investigate people. We do not have the medical expertise or the knowledge of the person’s medical history to make that determination. That is why we make a serious appeal to people to get their service provider. ”
In essence, officials rely on people’s honesty to make it work.
“The reasoning behind self-declaration is that, as you can imagine, it’s going to be really hard to prove or verify that individuals are with certain types of comorbidities,” said Orange County Deputy Director of Public Health Services Margaret Bredehoft.
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You can not say someone has diabetes by looking at it, and the orders and prescriptions of doctors come in all sorts of formats, she said. There is also concern about privacy if you have to ask people to share their medical records.
Some provinces will continue to check IDs to verify a person’s age, place of residence or place of work and that they have an appointment.
Relying on people’s honesty can let some down, and ‘it’s going to worry me,’ said Larry Landauer, executive director of the Orange County Regional Center. The center coordinates services for OC residents with developmental disabilities.
“There are people who absolutely need priority, and they need to get something from their doctor.”
Landauer said she and other regional centers are working to get a letter approved by the state Department of Public Health that they can distribute to clients showing that they are eligible for vaccination in the phase that opens Monday.
Who is eligible?
People between 16 and 64 are eligible if they have one of the following conditions:
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- Cancer, currently with a weakened immune system;
- Chronic kidney disease, stage 4 or higher;
- Chronic lung disease, dependent on oxygen;
- Down syndrome;
- Solid organ transplant, leading to a weakened immune system;
- Pregnancy;
- Sickle cell disease;
- Heart conditions, such as heart failure, coronary artery disease or cardiomyopathy (but not hypertension);
- Severe obesity (where the body mass index is greater than or equal to 40 kg / m2). Consult your doctor if you are eligible, or try this converter from the CDC; or
- Type 2 diabetes mellitus with a hemoglobin A1c level of more than 7.5%.
State criteria also stipulate that a person may be eligible due to a developmental or a “significant high-risk disability”. One or more of the following criteria applies:
- A COVID-19 infection is likely to result in serious life-threatening illnesses or deaths; or
- The acquisition of COVID-19 limits the individual’s ability to receive ongoing care or services essential to their well-being and survival; or
- Providing adequate and timely COVID care will be particularly challenging due to the individual’s disability.
Government officials say this group will include all registered users of regional centers, independent residential centers; home support services; community-based adult services and adult health centers; Medi-Cal remissions on HIV / Aids; Deviation programs for home- and community-based alternatives; Deviation Programs for Medi-Cal; comprehensive care for the elderly; California Child Center Program (if child is 16-21 years old); and the California Program for the Disabled.
Do I have to show documentation of my condition when I get my vaccination?
No. Under the guidance of the state, confidentiality is protected, and therefore no documentation of a diagnosis or type of disability is required. But under the guidance of the state, expect to be asked to sign a ‘self-declaration’ that you meet the criteria.
Brooks Federico, spokeswoman for Riverside County, said adults who show up for a vaccine appointment next week will be given an examination sheet with a list of different diseases and asked if they fall into one of the categories.
“If the resident answers in the affirmative, they will be vaccinated,” she said in an email. “No notice of their doctor or a copy of medical records is required.”
Residents should make sure they are eligible before planning an appointment, Federico added.
“It is possible that appointments can be filled quickly,” she said, adding that more appointments are being opened each week as the country receives more vaccine doses.
How do you get a vaccine if you are in this high risk group?
Provincial public health officials recommend that you first contact your healthcare provider. Although supplies are limited, some healthcare systems and their affiliated clinics are being vaccinated – and appointments may be available.
In San Bernardino County, for example, officials have asked residents to first ask their health care providers about vaccinations, provincial spokesman David Wert said in an email.
If you do not have a service provider, or if your provider does not offer vaccinations, you can make an appointment through the province’s vaccination website or hotline, Wert said.
“When they make an appointment at a public vaccination clinic or pharmacy, we ask them to bring along some form of verification of their high-risk medical condition or disability, reflecting the guidance of the state,” Wert added.
Do not be surprised if your service provider first contacts you.
Kaiser Permanente’s offer, for example, is still increasing.
“We will use this increased offer to significantly increase the number of members we can vaccinate,” according to a statement from the giant supplier. “Kaiser Permanente has already begun to reach out to our newly eligible members with underlying conditions, starting with those at the highest risk.”
In addition to being a healthcare provider, you can make an appointment if you are just eligible:
- Online at the state’s MyTurn system, www.myturn.ca.gov. You can access the site in English, Spanish, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean and Japanese.
- If you do not have access to the Internet, you can call the COVID hotline of the state at 1-833-4CA-4ALL (Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday through Sunday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.).
- Book an appointment with your local health department. Not all health departments are affiliated with the state’s MyTurn website for such appointments.
- During March, there are pop-up clinics emerging in communities, and they are targeting areas particularly affected by the virus. Consult your local city for more details.
Can I get a vaccine at home if I cannot get a vaccine?
Provinces in California are expanding ways to get vaccine to neighborhoods where it is most needed. Mobile unit teams are expanding. For options, government officials recommend that you visit your healthcare provider, local public health department or your local pharmacy.
How do I get transport to a vaccine?
According to government officials, if you receive Medi-Cal through a managed care plan, contact your member services to request assistance for transportation to covered benefits.
If you get Medi-Cal via Fee-for-Service (FFS), you can access a list of non-medical transport providers in your country where you live, and you can contact them directly to make a trip to your appointment arrange.
Can you get a vaccine outside your country?
Provinces keep appointments by people living or working in those provinces.
Will other medical conditions be added?
At the moment it is not likely.
On Friday, dr. Mark Ghaly, the secretary of the health care and human services agency, said the list of conditions of the state has been changed from the disease control centers, which include smoking.
But smokers do not make the list from the state.
“We have compiled a list of chronic conditions such as the CDC list,” Ghaly said. ‘Some smokers will be caught by other conditions on the list, but that is not one of the conditions in itself. We have worked hard with a number of individuals with some representation from provinces to narrow the list so that we feel we are focusing on the most vulnerable first. Hoping provinces do not change part of it. ”
Reporters David Rosenfeld and Alicia Robinson contributed to this story.