Counties finally agree to vaccine distribution plan
Bay Area counties will be able to retain local control over coronavirus vaccine distribution under a new agreement with the state, ending weeks of bitter negotiations with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration after it hired Blue Shield to oversee California’s vaccine supply.
Santa Clara County and the state on Wednesday signed a contract that will allow the county to continue giving vaccine supply to local community clinics and to continue using the county’s own appointment signup system rather than moving to the state’s My Turn program, which has been plagued by technical difficulties.
Other Bay Area counties — including Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco and San Mateo — have been offered the same agreement, the California Department of Public Health confirmed. Earlier this week, Los Angeles County signed a similar deal.
San Mateo expects to sign the deal while Marin, San Francisco and Contra Costa counties said they are still reviewing the proposal. Alameda and Napa did not immediately respond to a question about whether they have signed on.
The agreement ends weeks of uncertainty about vaccine distribution, which has been marked by miscommunication and scarce supply. State and federal officials have promised more supply is on the horizon in April, and that every adult will be eligible for a vaccine by May.
“I think we all want the same thing,” Santa Clara County Supervisor Cindy Chavez said, “which is making sure everybody can get vaccinated and that we have an eye toward equity.”
The counties had balked at giving up control to Blue Shield, which the state tapped in a no-bid deal worth up to $15 million in reimbursements to help decide where and how vaccine should be allocated throughout California. While the counties will still have to work with Blue Shield, they will not have to sign a contract directly with the insurance giant.
“What we were concerned about is if everybody had a direct contract with Blue Shield, that we would have to go through Blue Shield to talk to the state. Blue Shield and the county will talk to the state together,” said Chavez.
Santa Clara County came under fire recently after an apparent miscommunication forced the county to cancel thousands of second-dose appointments earlier this month and redirect patients to Kaiser, which said the mix up had forced it to limit its own appointments. Will the end of stalemate mean better distribution and more vaccines? That remains unclear. The federal government — not the state — controls the supply chain, and California will continue to determine how much each county receives. But the new agreements should put everyone on the same page, which could smooth distribution woes.
William Padula, a USC professor of pharmaceutical and health economics, applauded the counties for speaking up to say “hey don’t forget about the little guy over here,” but, he cautioned, “if the state or the governor’s office are recommending another player, particularly a private party (like Blue Shield), it’s another way of them saying we’re not equipped to do this ourselves.”
Blue Shield CEO Paul Markovich said earlier this month the company could help improve California’s distribution system by better tracking where vaccine is at all times, pointing out that before it joined, the state had not had an accurate understanding of current vaccine inventory.
The deal comes as welcome news for smaller community clinics that have relied on counties both for vaccine supply and logistical support. Some clinics had worried they would be unable to continue vaccinating people. But under the newly signed agreement, they can continue working with the counties.
“It matters because we need flexibility and agility on the ground,” Chavez said.