Knowing the different vaccine providers is a help

I hope everyone knows that Marin County is now scheduling COVID-19 vaccines for a wider group of eligible people (including everyone aged 65 and older). Soon, the state of California will announce that at-risk members of the 16-64 age group are eligible to sign up.

Expanded eligibility means more and more people are going to be competing to get an appointment. There are several vaccine administration sites and providers: MarinHealth, Kaiser, Sutter, the county health department, the Veterans Administration and others. I think it would be helpful if Marinites trying to schedule an appointment realize that the MarinHealth Medical Network and the Marin County Health and Human Services Department are not the same entity.

MarinHealth is the formerly named Marin General Hospital; it is not the county health department. I have had contact with way too many people who think that MarinHeath and MHHS are one and the same. When they can’t immediately get an appointment, they think they are getting shut out on scheduling a shot for the COVID-19 vaccine. With all of the confusing and conflicting information out there about how, where, when and who in regard to signing up for the vaccine, I thought it might be helpful to make sure people know the difference. Marinites should pay attention and know the provider, entity or administrator with whom you are trying to schedule your vaccination — they may have different phone numbers and websites where you are to call or contact them. — Debbie McDonagh,

San Rafael