Eligibility for COVID-19 vaccine expands in California, but dose numbers remain tight
SANTA CRUZ >> Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Wednesday that California residents 65 and older are eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccinations — but that doesn’t mean Santa Cruz County residents in that age group will be able to get a shot right away.
County Communications Manager Jason Hoppin said there are approximately 48,000 residents in the Santa Cruz area who are in the 65 and older demographic.
“We have not been given enough vaccine to complete (Phase) 1a workers yet, which remains the priority,” Hoppin said.
Those Phase 1a workers include local health care workers, residents of nursing homes or other care facilities, and emergency medical responders, such as firefighters. According to Hoppin, the majority of residents age 65 and older will get the vaccine through their health
care provider. The county, Hoppin said, will play a limited role in vaccinating that demographic, though the county public health division will support residents in that age range who are uninsured.
“The way (we) should think about this is that local county officials have the flexibility to move within the tiers,” said California Department of Public Health Senior Communications Advisor Darrel Ng. “Today’s action is about moving the 65-plus population into Phase 1b, Tier 1… instead of 75-plus, it’s 65-plus. Whether different counties make the move between tiers is dependent on a number of factors.”
As far as Santa Cruz County goes, its public health division is figuring out the best way to follow the phase system set up by the federal and state governments.
“The governor said 65 and over are eligible now but that Phase 1 was still a priority, so everything is sort of being mashed together,” Ng said.
The phased vaccination campaign is being carried out locally through four different channels:
• The Federal Pharmacy Program, a governmental partnership with CVS Health and Walgreens, which is supplying vaccine doses to congregate care facilities.
• Large health care providers such as Kaiser Permanente and Sutter Health.
• Santa Cruz County’s Public Health Division.
• Smaller health care providers, medical groups, independent doctors enrolled in the CalVax program.
Frontline workers
There are an estimated 14,700 frontline workers in the county currently eligible for a coronavirus vaccine. It will take approximately 30,000 total doses to inoculate those residents.
As of Tuesday, the county had received 16,725 doses of coronavirus vaccines.
Both the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccine requires two shots, given roughly one month apart, for efficacy against the virus. According to a County of Santa Cruz Facebook post, as of Thursday, more than 5,300 Santa Cruz residents have been given that first dose of the vaccine.
While eligibility is expanding in the state, counties continue to face fierce competition to secure vaccine
supplies. Santa Cruz County is only set to receive an additional 200 COVID-19 vaccine doses next week. That’s compared to at least 5,000 doses delivered to the county this past Monday.
Ng said that responses from some counties that they do not have enough lined up with the general sentiment that the manufacturing of vaccines is the largest factor in the speed at which vaccines are distributed and administered locally.
“The (Centers for Disease Control) said (Tuesday) that they’re going to release their store, their cache of vaccines,” Ng said. “I don’t know exactly what that means logistically, but it’s possible there will be a moderatelysized influx into the state once logistics are (worked out) and they get released.”
Private health care providers
Kaiser Permanente, Dignity Health (Dominican Hospital), Sutter Health, Halsen Healthcare (Watsonville Community Hospital) as well as smaller medical groups, clinics, and independent doctors have their own channels to secure COVID-19 vaccine doses. Skilled nursing and residential care facilities in Santa Cruz County, such as Santa Cruz Post Acute and Dominican Oaks, have already experienced the benefits of the Federal Pharmacy Program.
Kaiser Permanente and Sutter Health will be the main COVID-19 vaccine provider to the majority of Santa Cruz County residents, Hoppin said.
Sutter Health Media Relations Coordinator Emma Dugas provided a statement Wednesday night that foreshadowed its preparation into expanding the population in which the health care system is vaccinating.
“Sutter Health is following a staged approach to vaccine distribution, per (CDPH) and (CDC) guidelines,” Dugas said. “In accordance with guidance from federal, state and local public health officials we offered vaccine first to health care workers across our network and other health care workers in our communities. We will soon start vaccinating Sutter patients who are 75 years or older.”
Dugas said that until there is official guidance from CDPH and CDC health authorities and the resources necessary to expand vaccination to the “significantly larger population” present themselves, Sutter Health will continue to prioritize community health care workers and those 75 and above due to their higher vulnerability to the virus.
Representatives of Kaiser Permanente said Thursday that the healthcare provider is making preparations for the expansion of priority groups defined by the state. Statewide, the first doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines have been administered to 97,000 healthcare workers by Kaiser personnel.
“Successfully delivering the vaccine to people 65-and-older, as well as continuing to vaccinate health care workers, depends on getting access to adequate supplies of vaccine,” representatives said. “Kaiser Permanente is committed to act as quickly as possible to provide vaccine to those who are eligible, but given the current limited supply of vaccine nationally it is important to know that not everyone who is eligible will be able to make an appointment right away.”
Kaiser is reaching out to those patients 65 and older to provide information about vaccine availability and how to schedule an appointment. Its coronavirus-dedicated website will be updated as new details emerge.
“To further expand access to the vaccine, Kaiser Permanente is engaging with state and local public health officials to identify opportunities to partner on broader community vaccination efforts as supply becomes more readily available,” representatives teased. “Understandably, the current limited supplies of vaccine may cause frustration among those eligible to be vaccinated, but we are hopeful that supplies will increase and allow us to more quickly vaccinate more people.”
The Sentinel is awaiting comment from Dignity Health and Halsen Healthcare on the matter.
A 6le4 for safety
Ng and his colleagues ask that everyone at least considers getting their shot in the arm when it’s their turn.
“I think it’s important to reiterate the vaccines approved thus far are safe and effective, and free of cost to patients,” he said. “They are up to 95% effective.”
Those awaiting their COVID-19 vaccine doses should continue staying home if possible, wear a mask and maintain social distancing when they must go outside and avoid gathering with those from other households, Hoppin said in a statement.
“There may be light at the end of the tunnel, but local case counts are at an all-time high,” he said. “Be careful. Take care of yourself, and your loved ones. Help is on the way.”