Process for getting coveted COVID-19 vaccine is not easy. Here are a few tips
Getting the coronavirus vaccine is still … incredibly complicated.
California is allowing residents 65 and older to get inoculated, along with health care workers and residents of nursing homes and assisted living facilities. The state is also letting teachers, child care providers, emergency service workers and food and agriculture employees who might be exposed on the job to be vaccinated.
But the number of people who are technically eligible for the vaccine has expanded far faster than the number of doses available. Cue chaos,
bitter resentment and system meltdowns. With so much happening — and changing — so fast, here are some answers to frequently asked questions.
Has California met Gov. Gavin Newsom’s goal of 1 million vaccines distributed by now?
It’s not actually clear, because of data issues, but the state was likely close. Still, this week, state health officer Erica Pan said it could take up to five months to vaccinate all Californians 65 and older. That’s based on the fact that there are more than 6 million Californians of that age, and the state is getting just 400,000-500,000 doses a week.
One of the main problems is that the federal government, which allocates vaccines to the state, has not secured nearly as many doses as expected. And the companies making the approved vaccines — Moderna and Pfizer — can only produce so many doses. Without a centralized health system, actually getting shots into arms has been left to a patchwork of agencies, government offices and big health systems such as Kaiser and Sutter.
Does President Biden have a plan to speed things up?
Yes. Biden said he wants to deliver 100 million doses in the first 100 days of his administration. So the state may get more vaccines, which could speed up the timeline Pan mentioned. And Pfizer and Moderna aren’t likely to stand as the only vaccine suppliers for long. Several other vaccines are well into clinical trials and, if those are successful, those companies could get permission to start manufacturing and distributing coronavirus vaccines, too.
How do I reserve a time to get the shot?
In California, some counties are setting up mass vaccination sites, while other places are telling people to talk to their health care provider. The process isn’t always fair. At times, it has been like trying to snag tickets to a hot concert — with those who happen to log on at the right time or be in the right place or have the right connections gaining access while people with fewer resources and less luck wait. Here’s what some of the Bay Area’s major providers and counties are saying, as of Thursday. (Note: This information is constantly changing, and phone lines and online enrollment pages have been overwhelmed to the point of crashing.)
Kaiser Permanente
After earlier saying it would schedule appointments for those 65 and up and providing a phone number, the HMO has scaled back. According to the vaccine page on its website, Kaiser now is saying it will mail a letter or send an email to patients 75 and older to schedule an appointment. It no longer provides a phone number for people to proactively make an appointment. Kaiser is allowing health care workers, long-term care patients and staff and emergency medical services workers to set up an e-visit to book a vaccine.
Sutter Health (Palo Alto Medical Foundation)
Sutter’s vaccine website says it is scheduling appointments for health care workers and those age 75 and up, prioritizing patients at the highest risk. Sutter patients can call 844-9876115 to schedule an appointment or sign into their My Health Online portal to reserve a time online.
Stanford Health Care
Stanford’s coronavirus site says it is vaccinating its primary care patients, but eligibility varies by county. Residents of Santa Clara and San Mateo counties who are at least 75 years old can be vaccinated at 2585 Samaritan Drive, San Jose. Beginning today, it will also offer vaccinations at the Arrillaga Center at 341 Galvez St. on the Stanford campus. As of Thursday, Stanford patients 65 and up in Alameda and Contra Costa counties can schedule an appointment to get vaccinated at 6121 Hollis St. in Emeryville. Eligible patients can make an appointment via the MyHealth portal or by calling 650-498-9000.
El Camino Health
El Camino is allowing Santa Clara County residents age 75 and older — who are not Kaiser, Sutter, Stanford or Santa Clara Valley Medical patients — to book a vaccine appointment online.
John Muir Health
John Muir says it plans to begin vaccinating patients 75 and older beginning next week. JMH says it will initially be able to offer about 3,000 appointments per week, but that should double by mid-February. The system says it will reach out to patients to schedule an appointment using patient portal messages, email, text messages and phone calls.
Alameda County
Alameda says it is currently limiting its vaccinations to health care workers but said it expects to expand to others in the coming weeks. The county’s website allows residents to sign up to receive a notification when they are able to schedule a vaccine.
Contra Costa County
Contra Costa is scheduling vaccine appointments for residents 65 and up. Residents who qualify can fill out an online form to request an appointment. Residents without internet access or who have trouble using the form can call 833829-2626.
San Francisco County
San Francisco has set up an online notification system for residents to sign up. Residents and workers can get a text or email notifying them that it’s their turn. The city says it is working with health care providers to set up high-volume vaccination sites and sites in neighborhoods most affected by the virus.
San Mateo County
San Mateo is vaccinating health care workers and residents and staff in longterm care homes. The county’s website says it is transitioning to the next phase, which includes residents 65 and up, but those people should contact their local health care provider to get a vaccine. The county’s San Mateo Medical Center says it will reach out to its patients who meet the criteria for receiving a vaccine.
Santa Clara County
Santa Clara County’s website says it is able to schedule vaccinations for those age 75 and up who live in the county, including Santa Clara Valley Medical Center patients. The county says Kaiser, Sutter and Stanford patients must book appointments through those providers.
VA Northern California Health Care System
Veterans who receive care through the VA can get a shot through the system. The VA is first vaccinating veterans undergoing cancer treatment, on dialysis, those in need of an organ transplant and those experiencing homelessness. The VA says it will contact patients when they are eligible. Veterans can sign up through the VA’s website to get updates on vaccine distribution.