Only 59% of San Jose sworn police officers report getting COVID-19 vaccine

which the county’s public health department runs, has vaccines available for all first responders who are eligible for a dose.

Mayor Sam Liccardo said Feb. 19 that he has asked city leaders to identify any obstacles in the way of vaccinating police officers and fire personnel in hopes of getting the vaccination rate “to 100% immediately.”

“There is absolutely no good reason why every emergency responder should not be vaccinated,” Liccardo said in a statement. “By declining or stalling vaccination, they are exposing themselves to severe risk of harm, and they are exposing our residents.”

The release of vaccination figures for San Jose’s first responders comes about two weeks after the Santa Clara County Sheriff Office revealed that about half of its employees had declined to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

During the county’s Public Safety and Justice Committee earlier this month, sheriff’s officials reported that although 861 of the department’s more than 1,800 employees have received both doses of the vaccine, almost 800 more had turned down the opportunity to get a dose. Another 200 or so employees do not yet qualify to receive it at that time.

Sheriff Laurie Smith said that there was a “host of reasons” behind the department’s high vaccine decline rate, including medical reasons and difficult working hours that made it difficult to schedule an appointment.

Santa Clara County Executive Jeff Smith, though, pushed back against the assertion that logistical issues could be to blame. “The main problem is that people are refusing the vaccine,” he said at that time. “It’s not that there is not access.”