San Mateo County officials announced Thursday that they will extend COVID-19 vaccinations from Feb. 22 to teachers and childminders, first responders and food and agricultural workers eligible under Phase 1B of the state as the offer allows.
“People are understandable about the vaccine, and we need to move as quickly as possible to make it happen as soon as possible,” San Mateo County Supervisor Carole Groom said in a prepared statement. “We must do everything we can under the constraints we have to limit the scale of the pandemic as COVID-19 continues to devastate our community.”
Following the state’s level system, the province, in partnership with private providers, has focused on vaccinating health workers, residents of long-term care facilities and the elderly since the vaccination against Pfizer and Moderna became available in December. According to the state, a third of those aged 65 and over in San Mateo County received the first dose of vaccine.
This effort will be expanded on February 22 to qualify for essential workers such as educators, childminders, law enforcement and food and agricultural workers, which include certain grocery stores, such as limited vaccination.
“Getting vaccinations into the arms of San Mateo County residents is our highest and most urgent priority,” said Provincial Superintendent Dave Pine, who serves with Groom on a COVID-19 subcommittee. Pine added that severe supply constraints hampered efforts and called for patience and understanding.
The reasoning for waiting until February 22 to extend the qualification is that it allows the province and partners to keep their focus on vaccinating health workers and residents aged 65 and older who have the greatest life risk due to the coronavirus. More than 8 out of 10 of the 447 deaths in San Mateo – 84% – are individuals aged 65 or older.
The province works through San Mateo County Health and the Provincial San Mateo Medical Center with private health care providers, community-based organizations and other partners to vaccinate residents. As the provision of vaccines allows, the province will provide roads for vaccination on February 22 for ineligible residents, who according to their province will not be able to access the vaccine.
The province works with organizations representing educators, child care workers, law enforcement and restaurant and agricultural workers to support vaccination plans based on a fair framework. The province will encourage local health care providers to vaccinate, where possible, low-income priority populations before, according to officials, opening appointments for the wider qualifying population.
Nearly 85,000 people received a first dose of vaccine as of Sunday. Nearly 20,000 have completed the two-dose vaccine range.