Supply a concern as eligibility expands
People 50 years and older included April 1, then 16 years and older April 15
Monterey County will keep in step with the state when its COVID-19 vaccination eligibility expands again to include people 50 years and older come April 1 and opens up to those 16 and older starting April 15.
But as demand still outpaces supply, the focus will continue to be on vaccinating those individuals made eligible in previous tiers or phases — for example, those people 65-74 years old not already vaccinated, individuals at risk of exposure while working in food, agriculture, childcare, education and emergency services not already vaccinated, and those 16 to 64 years of age with a medical condition or disability that puts them at high risk for illness and death.
“Our understanding is that in April we will have a lot more vaccine,” said Karen Smith, Monterey County Health Department spokeswoman. “It still may be difficult to get … but we expect more.”
Smith said that the biggest concern all along has been the limited supply of vaccine and people 50 years and older will have to wait until April 1 to make appointments just as those 16 and older will still need to wait until April 15 to start seeking vaccination appointments.
By mid-April, most everyone in the county will be eligible for a COVID-19 vaccination and those
providing vaccinations are cautious about what that would entail.
“Our only concern is that vaccine supply may remain limited. So while you might be eligible, it may take some time to secure an appointment,” said Dr. Gary Gray, Natividad CEO. “We strongly encourage everyone to consider getting the vaccine when it’s their turn.”
Gray reported that as of Thursday, Natividad had administered 23,551 COVID-19 vaccine doses — 13,578 first doses and 9,973 second doses.
The county is ready and able to vaccinate more people as supply comes in, said Smith.
“At the close of our last clinic (Friday), we will have given more than 30,000 doses to our community through our two vaccination sites,” said Monica Sciuto, Montage Health spokeswoman. “The biggest issues we foresee with the expanded vaccination eligibility is what we have seen so far to date — the demand for vaccine far exceeds the supply.”
Sciuto said that with the expanded eligibility, Montage Health believes it will still be very hard for people to get an appointment as soon as they want one.
“We understand this frustration, and hope that community members will be patient with those providing the vaccine and continue to try to get their appointments,” said Sciuto. “We also hope that vaccine supply will continue to increase so that we can open more clinics. The good news is that we have a lot of interest by the community to get the vaccine, which is wonderful, and will help us recover as a community.”
Though supplies remain tight, Monterey County residents are not relying solely on the vaccine supplied by the state as many entities have been able to tap into federal sources directly to get COVID-19 vaccine such as Clinica de Salud del Valle de Salinas and other health clinics, the Veterans Administration and the Department of Defense, and the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program which includes CVS, Walgreens, and RiteAid pharmacies.
On Thursday, Governor Newsom announced the eligibility expansion which would include millions more by mid-April.
“With vaccine supply increasing and by expanding eligibility to more Californians, the light at the end of the tunnel continues to get brighter,” said Governor Newsom in a statement. “We remain focused on equity as we extend vaccine eligibility to those 50 and over starting April 1, and those 16 and older starting April 15. This is possible thanks to the leadership of the BidenHarris Administration and the countless public health officials across the state who have stepped up to get shots into arms.”
Based on the current estimates, California expects to be allocated approximately 2.5 million first and second doses per week in the first half of April, and more than 3 million doses in the second half of April. California currently receives about 1.8 million doses per week. These estimates may be adjusted as time goes on. The state has the capacity to administer more than 3 million vaccines per week and is building the capacity to administer 4 million vaccines weekly by the end of April.
Though Monterey County saw a dip in its allocation this past reporting period — 11,820 doses compared to 29,100 the previous week — it expects allocations to increase.
More than 133,000 doses have been received in the county with an estimated 109,000 administered to 28% of Monterey County residents 16 years of age and older who have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, according to the California Immunization Registry.
For more information on getting vaccinated in Monterey County, visit https:// bit.ly/3bk6IwI.