There has been a frenzy across the Interior to get COVID-19 shots since California on Wednesday, Jan. 13, extended admission to the vaccine.
Demand is so high that in less than two hours on Friday afternoon, January 15, Riverside County residents have grabbed 11,000 available appointments for new vaccination clinics. The internet traffic overwhelmed the province’s vaccination website, and the appointment page froze as people tried to access it.
Amidst the confusion and chaos has many questions. Here are some, along with answers:
Q: Who is eligible to get a COVID-19 survey?
A: In Riverside County, people age 65 and older, along with law enforcement, teachers, food and agriculture workers and emergency services workers like firefighters, can now get shots, county spokeswoman Brooke Federico said.
Food workers include employees in grocery stores, as well as those who work in stores that sell a wide variety of other products when grocery items are also sold. Details on who is eligible for the food service category are available on this website: https://covid19.ca.gov/search/?q=grocery#gsc.tab=0&gsc.q=grocery&gsc.page=1
Spokesman David Wert said those at least 65 years old can now get shots in San Bernardino province.
However, Los Angeles County is still only vaccinating health care workers and residents of long-term care facilities. Provinces of Riverside and San Bernardino are also giving shots to health care workers and residents of the care facility.
Los Angeles County officials estimate they will begin vaccinating the elderly in early February. During this phase, those exposed to exposure in the education, childcare, emergency services, food and agriculture industries are offered shots.
Q: How do I plan a shot?
A: In the counties of Riverside and San Bernardino, people are requested to visit the websites of the counties – www.ruhealth.org/covid-19-vaccine in Riverside County and https://sbcovid19.com/vaccine/locations/ in San Bernardino County – and sign up for an appointment when new vaccination clinics are offered.
Entries are not yet available in Los Angeles County, but at VaccinateLACounty.com you can find information on who can vaccinate them.
Q: What if I do not have a computer or do not know how to use the Internet?
A: Riverside County residents can call 211 for assistance with enrolling for a county for vaccination.
San Bernardino County residents can call 909-387-3911 for assistance.
In Los Angeles County, those who do not have access to the Internet or are not comfortable using it can call the 24-hour information line Los Angeles County, 211.
Q: Vaccination clinics fill up so fast I could not make an appointment. How can I find out when determining the next round of clinics?
A: San Bernardino County on Thursday launched a notification system that alerts people by email or text message, depending on their preference, when more clinics are available, Wert said. “Within hours, we had 7,000 people registered for the warnings,” he said.
Riverside County is working to set up a similar warning system, Federico said. Los Angeles County residents can sign up for an email newsletter to get vaccination information at VaccinateLACounty.gov.
Q: Are there other places to get the vaccine?
A: Yes. For example, Kaiser Permanente added an appointment tool to its website – kp.org – on Friday, said Anamaria Bearden, spokeswoman for Kaiser’s Riverside County service area. “We notify members when they are eligible for appointments,” she said.
Pharmacies Albertsons and Ralphs and Apple Urgent Care also supply vaccine in partnership with Riverside County. Vaccinations are available at health centers and pharmacies in Sav-On and Vons in San Bernardino County, among others.
Q: What do I need to bring to a provincial vaccine clinic to prove I am eligible for a shot?
A: Identification that confirms your age – driver’s license, passport or state identification card – if you are 65 or older and live in Riverside County. Those who get shot because they work in a category of work that qualifies for the vaccine can bring a job identification card, piece of work or letter from their employer confirming their work, Federico said.
In San Bernardino County, Wert said, residents must bring identification that proves they are 65 years or older.
Q: Can I show up without an appointment?
A: No. Pre-registration is required.
Q: Can I get the vaccine through a country other than the country I live in?
A: In general, no. But if you have health care in another country, you can get a chance in that country.
Q: Will the Inner Empire host mass vaccination sites, such as those at Disneyland and Dodger Stadium?
A: San Bernardino County expects to announce a “super-site” for large-scale vaccinations in the country next week, Wert said. Riverside County has no plans to do so, and is rather focused on providing as many vaccination sites as possible in different communities “because Riverside County is so geographically large,” Federico said.
Officials in all regions of the region are urging them to wait patiently as they wait for more vaccination. In Riverside County alone, Federico said, 700,000 people are now eligible for shots. Wert said he does not know how many are eligible in San Bernardino County, but the U.S. Census Bureau estimates the province’s senior population at about 260,000 residents.