On February 12, the California Department of Public Health announced that health care providers could soon vaccinate people ages 16-64 who suffer from a number of health conditions. This decision, which takes effect March 15, will add a number of millions of people to the number of people eligible for vaccinations in California.
– Cancer, currently with weakened or immunocompromised condition
– Chronic kidney disease, stage 4 or higher
– Chronic lung disease, dependent on oxygen
– Down syndrome
– Immuno-compromised state (weakened immune system) due to solid organ transplantation
– Pregnancy
– Sickle cell disease
– Heart conditions, such as heart failure, coronary artery disease or cardiomyopathy (excludes hypertension)
– Severe obesity (Body Mass Index ≥ 40 kg / m2)
Type 2 diabetes mellitus with a hemoglobin A1c level greater than 7.5%
Outside of these conditions, the CDPH states that other people may be eligible for vaccinations if one or more of the following apply as a result of a developmental or other severe high-risk disability:
– The individual is likely to develop serious life-threatening illness or death due to COVID-19 infection
The acquisition of COVID-19 limits the individual’s ability to receive ongoing care or services that are essential to their well-being and survival.
Providing adequate and timely COVID care will be particularly challenging due to the individual’s disability
Although the list contains very serious conditions, there are several life-threatening conditions that are not on the list, although, as indicated by Mercury News, it has been linked to worse outcomes in COVID-19 patients. Among those not included are: cystic fibrosis, dementia, hypertension, type 1 diabetes and some rare genetic diseases.
The announcement by the state expands the groups that have already been approved to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Those already in Phase 1A – health care workers and long-term caregivers – and Phase 1B – individuals 65 and older, workers in education and child care, emergency services, agriculture and food, have been approved.