For the past two weeks, there has been a daily flood of news – and frustration – about COVID-19 vaccinations, brought to the forefront this week by the establishment of massive vaccination centers in the South Bay, East Bay and San Francisco. Providers have also expanded access to those at greatest risk for serious illness or death.
The initiatives should be good news for those who are confused by the twisted explanations, mischievous websites and hours of time that have characterized the effects of the vaccine so far. But the biggest problem remains: the limited supply of approved vaccines, even though the Biden administration is increasing production and a new vaccine vaccine appears to be ready for distribution.
Here’s a look at the latest developments and what they mean for you.
So who can get the vaccine now?
The state recently approved the vaccination of prominent health care workers, nursing home patients and, more recently, people 65 and older. But not every province and health care provider could accommodate the groups, and the state concedes that these residents will be prioritized “as the stock allows.”
The provinces of Contra Costa, San Mateo, Santa Clara and San Francisco have formal green vaccinations for residents over the age of 65. Alameda County says coverage for seniors begins Monday, though some hospital systems have already begun.
But others choose to limit distribution due to insufficient supply. Kaiser, for example, limits vaccinations for non-health workers to patients 75 years and older, citing limited doses. John Muir Health says it plans to expand to patients aged 65 to 74 on February 15.
Bay Area Provinces continues to call on eligible vaccine recipients to first go to their own healthcare providers, to ensure efficient use of each entity’s grant allocations and the doses provided to provincial health systems for uninsured people and underserved communities , to discuss.
But the messages have changed over the past week. Santa Clara County has just introduced a ‘no-fault’ policy that encourages anyone currently eligible for a vaccine to get one from any provider, regardless of hospital membership or insurance. It comes after a revelation that about 20% of the revenue allocated by the province has not been scheduled. Other provinces now offer similar guidance.
Meanwhile, interest groups continue to advocate special vaccination priority for their members, including farm workers, teachers and those with health conditions. Last week, a group of Bay Area health officials called on providers to resist the temptations. Concentrate only on the elderly, they said.
How are these mass vaccination sites going to work?
This week, a federal state partnership was announced that will instruct the Federal Emergency Management Agency to operate a mass vaccination site on the grounds of the Oakland Coliseum from February 16; bookings are promised via the state’s new website MyTurn.ca.gov. The Moscone Center has just opened as a mass vaccination site run by San Francisco and Kaiser. Santa Clara County has announced that it is teaming up with the San Francisco 49ers to build such a site at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, which begins Tuesday; check out sccfreevax.org for appointments.
The purpose of these sites is to extend the reach of the vaccine to targeted populations and to provide relief to people who are uninsured or unable to get through their own providers’ scheduling systems. Some of these organizations also set up pop-up sites in neighborhoods that are severely affected for the same purpose.
What happens to the offer? Shouldn’t a new vaccine come out soon?
A significant increase in doses is needed to vaccinate enough of the American population to bring about herd immunity and end the pandemic. Even with the state doubling its daily vaccinations to 150,000 in the past month, only 9% of California’s 40 million residents have been vaccinated.
The Biden administration has ordered 200 million more doses from Pfizer and Moderna and plans to ship 1 million doses to pharmacies across the country. CVS will begin administering vaccines at 100 of its California stores starting Thursday.
The supply situation will improve with the distribution of a new vaccine for Johnson & Johnson, after it was reviewed by the Food and Drug Administration at the end of the month for emergency authorization.
Dr Monica Gandhi, a professor and expert in infectious diseases at UC San Francisco, is optimistic about the impact of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, as it requires only one dose – the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines consist of two shots ranging from three and four are administered. weeks apart – and it does not have to be frozen storage.
The company says it could deliver 100 million doses of vaccine to the federal government in the first half of 2021.
“It’s a game changer,” Gandhi said. “The rollout of vaccines is going to be much faster.”
As stocks increase, more categories of people can be vaccinated. If vaccine production continues to increase as planned, people aged 16 and over in the lowest risk categories could start getting vaccinations by the summer.
Let’s go back to the second doses. I’ve heard of side effects before. How bad are they not?
Reports in recent days have shown that second doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines produce more side effects than the first dose – mainly flu-like symptoms such as swelling, pain, body aches, headaches and fever. But medical experts say it is a sign that the vaccine is causing the desired immune response.
Gandhi said the two-dose swoon is in most cases manageable with painkillers and rest.
I was completely vaccinated. What may I do?
In the general medical consensus, people are vaccinated to be vaccinated as they would if they were not vaccinated, because they can still be carriers. Research has not yet established that the vaccines Pfizer and Moderna transmit the disease.
But Gandhi sees little risk in two vaccinated who meet and have contact. And she believes that a vaccinated person who has tested negative also has little fear of communicating with unvaccinated friends and family. Just take the necessary precautions: mask up and try to keep your distance.
‘It’s a matter of messages telling people that even if you are not vaccinated, nothing changes. “I know public health officials are well-meaning, but that’s not how the real world works,” Gandhi said. “I do not think it is sustainable, people have been waiting so long for the vaccines and loneliness is deep.”