As the number of COVID-19 infections continues to rise across Orange County, flooding hospitals and further hampering the region’s health care system, provincial leaders on Tuesday approved hiring a liaison firm to help reassure residents about the safety and effectiveness of the coronavirus vaccinations.
The move came as provincial officials announced Tuesday that residents 65 and older are now eligible to receive the vaccine, resulting in a significant expansion of access.
The decision follows new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and comes before the state’s official recommendation.
“My goal is to reduce hospitalizations and deaths as quickly as possible, and we need to prioritize our vaccine allocation to protect the most vulnerable in our community,” said Dr. Clayton Chau, the province’s health officer and director of the health agency. a statement said. .
The developments are the latest signs of increased availability of vaccines. On Thursday, California has commissioned provinces to open the first phase of admission to a wider pool of health care workers, including public health staff, primary care clinics, specialty clinics, laboratory workers, dental clinics, and pharmacy staff.
The province also advised residents not to visit the country newly opened vaccine at Disneyland Resort without appointment.
The board of supervisors voted to appoint Costa Mesa marketing consultant Idea Hall to develop a plan to reach communities that have expressed skepticism about the vaccination.
Although provincial officials did not specify which communities they were going to focus on, a recent survey by the Orange County Health Agency indicated that women, people ages 35 to 54, Latinos and blacks and residents of Anaheim, Costa Mesa and Santa Ana. the lowest willingness to be vaccinated.
“Is there an urgency to what we need to do? Yes, because unlike testing, it requires training. Education and awareness take time, ”said council chairman Andrew Do. ‘You’re not going to win people over with one ad, one touch, one encounter. You need multiple touches from various sources in which they believe … to inform them of the process and then lower the resistance to vaccines. ‘
Although the scientific evidence is clear regarding the safety and efficacy of the vaccines after trials involving tens of thousands of participants, including the elderly and people with chronic health conditions, some remain skeptical. The vaccines are recommended for all adults except those who have had a severe allergic reaction to any ingredient.
The Health Agency’s survey, completed late last year, stated that ‘the safety of the vaccine should be addressed in all groups, and that some groups should discuss the issues to protect others through vaccination and the severity of the disease. ‘
Overall, 58% of the more than 26,000 respondents indicated that they would be willing to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
The results are similar to a poll by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research last year, which shows that only half of the U.S. population plans to get the vaccine. This is far from the 70% of the population that experts say should be vaccinated to ensure herd immunity, or the point at which enough people are protected that the coronavirus will stop spreading quickly.
“Clearly, the willingness to be vaccinated for COVID-19 is much less than the current or current willingness to be vaccinated for the seasonal flu,” the survey reads.
As of last week, more than 56,000 people have been vaccinated in Orange County. The province received 176,000 doses from the state as of Tuesday, as it prepares to step up the process, which is slower than expected. On Monday, the country announced that the first of five large-scale vaccination centers – called super POD (distribution point) – will open this week at Disneyland in Anaheim.
Those eligible for the vaccine are people in the state’s highest priority level, which includes workers in health care and long-term care facilities.
“Coronavirus has brought a public health crisis and economic devastation,” said Anaheim Mayor Harry Sidhu. ‘With this super-site we’ll both start to overcome. Every vaccination done in Anaheim will help save lives and expedite the reopening and restoration of our city. ”
The province expects to be able to vaccinate 7,500 to 8,000 people a day at the large-scale centers. Ultimately, the province’s goal is to complete all vaccinations by July 4, Chau said.
Chau on Tuesday urged provincial leaders to proceed quickly with an outreach plan and warned that the flow of vaccines from the state to the country would be delayed if not used effectively. According to him, the allocation of vaccines has already taken place in other provinces in California.
Meanwhile, COVID-19 hospitalizations in the country reached a peak this month, further expanding the beleagured health care system. As of Monday, 2221 people have been admitted to hospital with COVID-19. Officials said 544 of the people – mostly people over 61 – are being treated in intensive care units.
Chau noted that the restrictions on businesses and events will continue until the country can increase its availability of ICUs, which remain at 0%. He choked when he told the supervisors of two grandparents who were the primary caregivers of their granddaughter – an eighth-grader – until they died of COVID-19.
“We need to do something in our community quickly,” he said. ‘It is not just the reopening of our economy that is important. It is about taking care of our vulnerable community. Our seniors are dying and we must do everything we can. ”