California will not officially be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine for all adults until April 15.
But because the stock of the vaccine has increased recently – a trend that government officials are optimistic will continue in the coming weeks – some parts of California now have periodic surpluses. And this leads to officials making doses available to all adults, even those who are not eligible under the current rules.
It took place this week at several locations, including Riverside County, Bakersfield, the Bay and even parts of Los Angeles. But the extra slots are quickly filled, leading to some being turned away.
This is what we know:
Can anyone get a chance?
It is difficult to get vaccinations for some, even those who are 50 years and older who are officially eligible. But in some parts of the state, access is being opened up.
This was the case in Cal State in Los Angeles. Eligible persons did not claim the thousands of appointments at the vaccination center through the MyTurn registration system. As a result, vaccines have been allowed to vaccinate adults who walk to the site without an appointment, including people who do not qualify according to current admission requirements, said Brian Ferguson, a spokesman for the state emergency services.
Anyone 18 and older will be allowed to wait in line to shoot at the Cal State LA site until Sunday night, Ferguson said.
“As long as vaccines are available, we will be vaccinated until we are no more,” he said.
Those hoping for a vaccine should note that the site is rapidly overflowing with word-of-mouth with boarding. On Thursday morning, so many hopefuls stood in line that extra doses ran out and people were turned away.
Does this apply to those who prefer and have an appointment?
No.
Vaccines will continue to make priorities for appointments made through the state’s My Turn system, which can only be made by people 50 years and older, those with underlying medical conditions, and people working in specific essential areas, such as health care, education, child care, emergency services. , and food and agriculture.
People can sign up for an appointment on the My Turn website or by calling (833) 422-4255.
Where else in California has vaccination been facilitated?
Other provinces have decided to move faster than the state recommends giving all adults and some teens access to the vaccine.
In the counties of Southern California, Kern, Riverside and San Bernardino, someone 16 years and older was eligible to stand a chance.
In Orange County, anyone 16 years and older living in four zip codes severely affected by the COVID `19 pandemic – 92701 and 92703 in Santa Ana, 92805 in Anaheim and 92844 in Garden Grove – can be vaccinated.
In the Bay Area, Alameda Province allows anyone aged 16 and older living in a dozen severely hit zip codes to be vaccinated, including in neighborhoods in Oakland, Hayward, San Leandro and non-incorporated San Lorenzo.
Elsewhere in California, a number of northern provinces – such as Contra Costa, Butte, Shasta and Nevada – are among those that have opened vaccines for those aged 16 and older; most require recipients to live or work in those provinces. The provinces of Yuba and Sutter have made COVID-19 shots available to anyone 18 years and older living or working there.
The UC Davis Health System in the Sacramento area, people 16 years and older are also vaccinated.
All COVID-19 vaccines are free to anyone living in the US, regardless of immigration or health insurance status.
Long Beach announced Thursday that it will also begin vaccinating all people Monday through Saturday and vaccinating them as walk-in stations at the Long Beach Convention Center. Online appointment April 15th.
Why do the rules weaken?
Kern County officials attribute the policy change to an increase in inventory and a slowdown in vaccine appointments.
Natalie Frieson, 24, a resident of Kern County, said the expansion is a welcome change.
“This means we can return to a normal society much sooner, and hopefully fewer vaccines will expire.”
Appointments are available this week at the Kern County Fairgrounds Mass Vaccination Center, officials said and could be booked by the state. My turn system.
“I am very relieved,” Frieson added, “to know that our public health officials realized that we could extend the qualification before the state date on April 15, when they could decide to wait just the extra week.”
Officials in Riverside, one of California’s largest provinces, attributed their expansion to an increase in inventory. Last week, the country administered its 1 million dose of COVID-19 vaccine.
“There is more vaccine available now, and if we are eligible, we will move even further towards our goal of vaccinating the majority of our residents,” said Karen Spiegel, the province’s 2nd district supervisor. “Vaccination works best when the majority of the population ingests it.”
Will there be enough supply?
Officials are confident that there will be. The planned full reopening of California in two months, is aimed at that.
“With the expectation that by the end of this month and in May there will be an abundance of doses coming in from the federal government,” Governor Gavin Newsom said on Tuesday, “we can confidently say by June 15 that we can start our business. to start as usual – subject to continuous mask wear and continuous vigilance. ”
However, recently released federal data raises new questions as to whether the offer will meet the rosy expectations.
Although the California grant of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Modern vaccines is expected to remain relatively stable until next week, the state – along with the rest of the country – will see the availability crater for the single-shot vaccine Johnson & Johnson .
This week, 572,700 Johnson & Johnson doses were awarded to the Golden State. Next week, the number will drop to 67,600, a drop of 88%, according to CDC data.
It is unclear how this will affect the state’s plan to open access to vaccines widely, or how long it will take to reverse the decline in supply.
The California Department of Public Health did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the awards.
Newsom acknowledged earlier this week that the supply of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine remains uncertain, but said it is hopeful for more stability.
“We have a lot of confidence in the long-term and long-term,” he said, “which means that the short-term J & J volatility will start to give way to more confidence in May,” with the expectation that the vaccine will ‘come in substantially. much higher and more predictable numbers. ”
The availability – or lack thereof – of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is not just an issue for California. Nationwide grants will tumble from nearly 5 million this week to 700,000 next week.
The production of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is in conflict with production problems. Last week, the company said that a group of vaccines did not have the quality standards and that it could not be used. The drugmaker did not disclose how many doses were affected, although news reports linked the number at 15 million.
To date, suppliers across California have distributed nearly 20.9 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine, and according to information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 35.1% of residents have received at least one shot.
About 18.8% of California residents have been fully vaccinated, meaning they have received the single-shot vaccine Johnson & Johnson, or that both doses of Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna are required.
CDC data nationwide show that 33.1% of Americans received at least one dose, and 19.4% were fully vaccinated.
During the early stages of vaccine vaccination, California restricted access to the shots to those considered COVID-19 at greatest risk, whether because of their age, occupation, or underlying health conditions.
President Biden initially said that states should allow all adults to be eligible for COVID-19 vaccines by May 1st. But he announced a more aggressive timeline – with a deadline of April 19th.