The approval of COVID-19 vaccines in the United States is not an immediate cure for the pandemic. With a shortage of vaccines against Moderna and Pfizer, only a select group of people can get the vaccine – at least for now.
In Santa Clara County, this means that health officials have to administer vaccines to people in different groups based on their age, job, and risk of exposure to COVID-19. As of Dec. 30, at least 300,696 people had received COVID-19 vaccines in California, Govin Newsom said.
Santa Clara County received more than 94,805 COVID-19 vaccines as of December 31, plus additional doses to healthcare providers in multiple states, such as Kaiser Permanente and Sutter Health.
Those now receiving the vaccine are mainly health care workers, elderly residents of assisted living facilities and other essential workers who are unable to work at home.
The general public will probably have to wait until spring or summer to gain access to vaccines.
California public health officials have divided priority groups into different phases and sub-levels.
Phase 1A
Health officials in the province of Santa Clara say they have just enough vaccines to cover the first two bullets in Level 1 workers over the next few weeks. Non-clinical staff at these facilities, such as hospital room cleaners, interpreters and patient carriers, should also be preferred.
If vaccines are too scarce to provide to every worker, the state health officials suggest that the vaccines be rationed according to the age of each worker, first to workers 65 years and older, then to workers 55-64 and finally to workers younger than 55 years .
Level 1:
- Workers at acute hospitals, psychiatric and correctional hospitals
- Workers at skilled nursing homes and assistance facilities
- Elderly or medically vulnerable residents of competent nursing homes, assistance facilities and similar long-term care facilities
- Paramedics, EMTs and others providing emergency medical services
- Workers at dialysis centers
Level 2:
- Workers at intermediate care facilities for persons in need of non-continuous supervision of nursing and supportive care
- Home health care and home support workers
- Community health workers, including promoters, lay members from the Latino community who provide basic health education.
- Public health staff
- Primary care clinics, including Federal Qualified Health Centers, Rural Health Centers, correctional facilities clinics and emergency care clinics
Level 3
- Specialty Clinics
- Laboratory workers
- Dental clinics and other oral health clinics
- Pharmacy staff do not work in higher institutions
Phase 1B (considered)
The state’s community vaccine advisory committee has proposed new guidelines for who should receive vaccinations for health care workers and residents of acute care facilities.
These priority groups consist of elderly and frontline workers who are at risk for coronavirus because they are unable to work from home in areas most affected by COVID-19. However, people will have to wait a few weeks to get access to these vaccines.
Level 1:
- Anyone over 75 years
- Education and child care workers
- Food and agricultural workers, including grocery store and field workers
Level 2:
- Anyone over 65 with underlying health conditions
- Critical transport and manufacturing workers
- Captured people
- Homeless people
Phase 1C (considered)
Level 1:
- Anyone aged 16-64 with underlying health conditions or disabilities
- Workers in water and waste management, energy, chemicals and defense
- Workers in IT and financial services
- Community Service Providers
Are you asking about COVID-19 vaccines? Email [email protected] and we will get the answer.
Contact Mauricio La Plante by [email protected] or follow @mslaplantenews on Twitter.