All residents of San Luis Obispo County, 16 years and older, can now register to receive a COVID-19 vaccine at a vaccination clinic for SLO County Public Health.
Health official Dr Penny Borenstein made the announcement at a press conference on Wednesday afternoon.
Public health officials say it provides access to the vaccine for about 54,000 additional residents of the SLO province.
The province will continue to prioritize those at higher risk for COVID-19 complications based on age and health conditions when planning appointments based on the provision of vaccines. Health officials say it could take a few weeks for those who are just eligible to get an appointment.
Officials say the Department of Public Health currently has enough supplies to administer approximately 9,000 first doses next week at one of the three mass vaccination clinics in Paso Robles, San Luis Obispo and Arroyo Grande.
Eligible residents under the age of 18 will only receive the Pfizer vaccine. It is the only vaccine currently approved by the FDA for use in 16- and 17-year-olds.
Those under the age of 18 will also need to be accompanied by a parent or guardian to be vaccinated.
To register for an appointment, visit recoverslo.org/vaccineregistration or call the province’s telephone assistance center at (805) 543-2444.
Public health officials say some pharmacies that receive the federal government vaccine award instead of the province may not be able to make appointments for this new group right away.