Aware of the risk posed by its oldest residents, the state of California originally prioritized people over the age of 75 over other seniors. In the initial vaccination system, people aged 75 and older were placed in Phase 1B, Tier 1, while people aged 65-74 were placed in Phase 1B, Tier 2.
That changed on January 13 when Newsom elevated all the elderly to level 1. He responded to widespread criticism that the complex ranking system of the state was one of the reasons why vaccination of vaccines was so ineffective in the country with the most populous country. The merging of the two age levels has been seen as a way to simplify.
However, Newsom’s announcement caused a connection with Sonoma County. More than 20% of the population is 65 years or older, almost double the number in the whole country. While provinces with younger populations believe they have enough vaccine to continue immunizing everyone over the age of 65, Sonoma County has concluded that supplies are currently insufficient.
Hospital clinics, such as those that Sutter opened at LBC this week, can set their own fitness standards because their parent organizations obtain vaccine directly from the state. But the country, which controls less than half of the doses administered locally, can also set qualifications for its doses.
It is a life and death decision. Public health data shows that people over the age of 75 are responsible for 65% of COVID deaths in Sonoma County, compared to 53% nationwide.
That was enough to convince Mase to meet the more restricted age criterion for Phase 1B, Level 1, and the leaders of the country joined her.
“I do not want the board of supervisors or any political group to decide who is next in line,” state supervisor Chris Coursey said at a public board meeting this week. ‘We make the decision together with our staff of experts, epidemiologists, people who understand that the way to save lives is first to look at the most vulnerable. We are going to give preference to what according to the experts is the best way to get us through this life and death situation, not who makes the most political noise. ”
Sonoma County is by no means alone. The provinces of Napa, Mendocino, Marin, Solano, Humboldt and Santa Clara are among others immunizing 75-year-olds and Contra Costa did the same before recently switching to 65+.
Sonoma County also plans to make the transition.
On Friday, health officials in the province announced it
Residents 70 and older can receive the vaccine from Monday at designated clinics and 11 Safeway pharmacies, the country’s health officials announced Friday. But the state-run OptumServe site in Rohnert Park will for the time being serve only 75 and older residents.
“These are our most vulnerable residents and we need to give them an edge so they do not get the chance to appoint a vaccine,” Lynda Hopkins, chairwoman of the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors, told a news conference.
Officials also announced that the province’s newest vaccination clinic will open on Tuesday on the Petaluma campus of Santa Rosa Junior College. Supervisor David Rabbitt said the initial appointments would be by invitation only and that about 300 people a day are expected to be vaccinated.
“But it can expand to 500 a day, depending on the amount of vaccine,” he said. “In the uncertainty about the vaccine supply, we are never sure how much we received from the state week to week.”
Officials said vaccinations for 70-year-olds and older would be available Monday at 11 Safeway stores in the country. The vaccinations are by appointment only and 20 doses per day are available at individual pharmacies.
With the change in age fitness, officials said clinics administering the country’s vaccine supply are being encouraged to continue to make vaccinations available to health workers and first responders while members of the general public are 70 years or older. Twenty percent of their appointments must be reserved for people 75 years and older.
However, the current strategy raises questions. It is clear that the elderly 75+ die stronger than other subgroups during the pandemic. But they are also an overwhelming part of residents in long-term care institutions for the elderly, community environments that have proven to be breeding grounds for COVID outbreaks. Some wonder if 75-year-olds are really that much more vulnerable than 65-year-olds if both live independently.
About one-third of COVID deaths among the 75+ group occurred in the care of congregations, said Kate Pack, the country’s largest epidemiologist. But the data is incomplete. For another third of the data set, there was no information in the case files about where the deceased lived, Pack said.