Additional residents are eligible for vaccine

An expanded list of Yolo County residents are now eligible to sign up to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

Due to changes in the state’s guidelines, the following groups of people are now eligible for vaccination starting Monday:

• Individuals age 16-64with certain health conditions or disabilities

• Those living or working in high-risk congregate residential settings

• Public transit workers, including airport workers for commercial airlines.

• All janitorial staff

• Couriers of vaccines and emergency supplies • Utility workers who respond to emergencies • Massage therapists

• Social workers

• Activated disaster service workers

• Library staff working on site

A person must have one or more health conditions from a list designated by the state. These conditions include:

• Cancer, current with a weakened immune system • Chronic kidney disease, stage 4or above

• Chronic pulmonary disease, oxygen-dependent • Down syndrome

• Solid organ transplant, leading to a weakened immune system

• Pregnancy

• Sickle cell disease

• Heart conditions, such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, or cardiomyopathy (but not hypertension)

• Severe obesity (body mass index greater than or equal to 40 kg/m2)

• Type 2diabetes mellitus with hemoglobin A1c level greater than 7.5%

Additionally, a person may be vaccinated if they are likely to develop severe illness from COVID-19, contracting COVID-19 will limit a person’s ability to receive vital services, and/or providing COVID-19 treatment will be particularly challenging.

Yolo County is asking that those with qualifying health conditions or disabilities first talk to their healthcare provider, according to a statement from Jenny Tan, the county’s public information officer, due to the fact that healthcare providers will have medical records.

However, residents with qualifying conditions can be vaccinated at county clinics, and will not have to prove they have a disability, but will be asked to “attest that they qualify.”

“Individuals with certain underlying medical conditions and disabilities are more likely to experience severe COVID-19 or die from COVID-19, which is why they are being prioritized to receive COVID-19 vaccines,” stated Yolo County Public Health Officer Dr. Aimee Sisson. “However, it is important to keep in mind that while we are expanding the number of people who are eligible for vaccine, the vaccine supply is not increasing. Not everybody who is eligible will be able to receive a vaccine right away.”

As of Monday, Yolo County has administered 15,798 first doses to residents, including hosting clinics for agricultural workers and childcare providers and even providing in-home vaccines for homebound seniors. In total, more than 44,000 Yolo County residents have been vaccinated by either the county or a healthcare provider.

For more information about the COVID-19 vaccine, visit yolocounty.org/coronavirus-vaccine or call Yolo 211.

Homebound residents who qualify for the vaccine are asked to call Yolo 211 to sign-up for an in-home vaccine.