The rollout of the coronavirus vaccine for people 65 and older in California has been marked by confusion, with some provinces moving faster than others.
Some provinces are starting to offer the vaccine to older residents. But others, including Los Angeles County, say they must first finish firing on first responders and medical workers.
In Northern California, some provinces start with vaccines for people 75 years and older and then for people 65 years and older.
Here are some details:
Los angeles county
According to the LA County Department of Public Health, the province is still in Phase 1A of vaccination of the vaccine, which means that only health workers and residents of skilled nursing and long-term care institutions are eligible to receive the vaccine.
The department said the province is providing another 500,000 doses to people in the phase 1A group by the end of the month, and hopes to move to phase 1B (65 and older) by the beginning of February.
Provincial health offices were bombarded with calls from residents confused by the mixed messages from government officials and local officials. Government Gavin Newsom, in an announcement Wednesday, said people 65 and older could be vaccinated, but local health officials said the opposite shortly afterwards with public statements.
The province estimates that everyone in phase 1B will be offered at least one dose of the vaccine by the end of March.
Phase 1C, which includes people aged 50 to 64, and people aged 16 to 49 with underlying health conditions or working in certain essential jobs, is expected to begin in March. Everyone in this phase should receive at least one dose by early May.
Phase 2, which includes all people aged 16 to 49, is expected to start in mid-May or early June.
In the city of Long Beach, which has its own public health department, officials said they are starting vaccination to people over 65.
Orange county
As Orange County residents, age 65 and older, are furiously discussing appointments to receive COVID-19 vaccinations at a new distribution center that opened Wednesday at Disneyland in Anaheim, there are already plans to bring additional distribution centers online.
Officials have not yet settled on the sites of the vaccination centers, called super-PODs (distribution points), but Costa Mesa Mayor Katrina Foley has in a virtual city hall Thursday on Facebook that the Orange County Fairgrounds may be among them.
“I know the cat is already out of the bag that we’ll finally have a site at the fair,” Foley said on the forum, where she and churchwoman Cottie Petrie-Norris (D-Laguna Beach) gave an update has about the County’s COVID-19 response.
In partnership with the Orange County Fire Authority, Orange County Health Care Agency officials have set up an incident management team to oversee the administration of COVID-19 vaccines and distribution points nationwide.
Operation Independence seeks to vaccinate the majority of Orange County residents by July 4th.
Mike Pietro, division chief of the fire brigade, who is leading the operation together with deputy director of the health care agency Margaret Bredehoft, said on a news conference Wednesday that, in addition to the Disneyland website, four more distribution centers are planned throughout Orange County.
“As the site agreements are finalized, and because staff are secured and we get more vaccination, the super POD sites will go online,” Pietro said, declining to say when it would be possible.
San diego county
San Diego County health systems have an overwhelming demand for the vaccine.
UC San Diego Health on Thursday began immunizing elderly patients and embarking on a new phase in the region’s vaccination. Members of the health system who are 65 years or older are contacted to schedule appointments, according to a statement from UCSD.
“Patients are asked to wait for their vaccinations to avoid overwhelming telephone lines and to accommodate ongoing services and care. Eligible patients will be contacted as soon as possible based on the availability of vaccination.”
UCSD plans to immunize 500 patients a day. These doses are mainly given to patients whose medical history makes them particularly vulnerable to COVID-19. UCSD did not specify which preconditions would be considered, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that there is strong evidence that cancer and various forms of lung, kidney and heart disease increase the risk of COVID-19 hospitalization and death.
Diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity are also risk factors, according to dr. Davey Smith, Director of Infectious Diseases at UCSD. Age too. About 15% of San Diego County residents aged 80 and older who received COVID-19 died – more than one in seven.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs at San Diego Healthcare System, which serves more than 86,000 veterinarians, began vaccinating patients Wednesday, according to a spokesman. The San Diego VA starts with patients 85 years and older until it receives more doses.
Vaccine availability remains a major issue for most local health systems. The country’s two largest systems – Scripps and Sharp – as well as Kaiser Permanente, Alvarado Hospital Medical Center and Paradise Valley Hospital, say they currently do not have enough vaccine to immunize patients.
The country’s two largest pharmacy chains, CVS and Walgreens, have not yet begun vaccinating older Californians, with the exception of those in nursing homes. But the grocery store chain Ralphs, which has 77 pharmacies in Southern California, started this week; San Diegans 65 and older can schedule online appointments at their nearest place.
According to a Ralphs spokesman, if you do not see an option to sign up, it’s because the slots are filling up fast, adding that the company’s website started crashing late Wednesday due to an increase in traffic.
According to the provincial health officer, dr. Wilma Wooten, until the week of January 25, the province still wants to focus on vaccinating health workers at its massive vaccination center near Petco Park. At that point, Wooten says, 65 people and older could be vaccinated on provincial vaccination sites. Essential workers such as teachers, police officers and grocery store workers can follow in February. The country plans to launch an online system next week for people who want to receive alerts on when and where they can be vaccinated.
Other provinces of Southern California
Riverside county has opened vaccines for residents aged 65 and older, according to their public health department.
San bernardino, Ventura, San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Provinces continue to prioritize Phase 1A health workers.
Next phases
Some of those who would be at the front of the queue in phases as set out by the state:
Phase 1B
- Those exposed to employment at work in the following sectors: education, childcare, emergency services, food and agriculture
- Those at risk of job exposure in the following sectors: transport and logistics; industrial, commercial, residential and shelter facilities and services; critical manufacturing
- Municipal institutions with outbreak risk, such as prisoners and the homeless
Phase 1C
- Individuals 50-64 years old
- People 16-49 years old who have an underlying health condition or disability that increases their risk for severe COVID-19
- Those exposed to employment at work in the following sectors: water and wastewater; defense; energy; chemical and hazardous materials; communication and IT; financial services; government activities and community-based essential functions