Glenn County schedules vaccine clinics
Demand outweighs supply
WILLOWS » In response to a recent directive from the California Department of Public Health to include individuals 65 and older as a priority group to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, Glenn County health officials addressed upcoming vaccine distribution plans in an update Tuesday afternoon.
Glenn County Public Health said calls for vaccine appointments among those currently eligible in the 65 and older, and 75 and older groups with underlying medical conditions have surpassed the county health department’s call capacity and the vaccine dose allocation the county has received thus far.
“Glenn County Public Health has been overwhelmed by the number of callers attempting to make appointments,” the county health department said in a press release. “The calls have surpassed
the phone line capacity and it has pushed many callers to busy signal or voicemail. We ask residents of Glenn County to be patient with the vaccine process and with our staff as we work through this unprecedented pandemic response.”
Glenn County has administered approximately 570 doses in the past month and is planning for an additional 1,000 first vaccine doses to be administered for the next few weeks.
Groups and sectors to receive the vaccine already include all of Phase 1A, such as health care workers, including medical, dental, pharmacy, hospice and lab, in addition to frontline public health, behavioral health crisis providers, child welfare services, in home supportive services, long-term care and congregate living
facility residents and staff, coroner and mortuary services. Additionally, essential emergency services under Phase 1B, including EMS, fire, law, probation workers have begun receiving the vaccine.
The upcoming 1,000 first dose vaccine clinics are scheduled to take place between Jan. 22 and Feb. 5 are full, according to Glenn County Public Health. These clinics will continue to be reserved for people who are eligible under one of the Phase 1A sectors, as well as people in the 65 and older, and 75 and older age groups with underlying conditions.
Based on vaccine availability, scheduled clinics are subject to change. Glenn County Public Health said in the release Tuesday that all people who have scheduled an appointment to receive a first dose of the vaccine is contingent on vaccine availability, “as allocations have yet to be confirmed by the state.”
The Feb. 5 clinic is tentatively scheduled for that
date, and additional clinics are planned for February. However, the county health department said “appointments cannot be released until the state has provided reliable information on vaccine inventory and shipments.” In the meantime, the county has initiated a wait list for appointments.
The Glenn County Public Health Department can be contacted Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. by phone at 530-934-6588, or by email at COVID@ countyofglenn.net.
The county said it is also working on an web-based platform for residents to register and determine eligibility, based on age or workforce sector. It will also allow residents to request notification when appointments are made available for a specific qualifying phase and tier.
Moderna batch on hold
Glenn County Public
Health also said Tuesday it received 100 doses of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine lot 041L20A, which state health officials have asked providers to stop using after number of allergic reactions were reported in Southern California.
In a statement, California State Epidemiologist Dr. Erica Pan said providers should hold off on administering that specific Moderna batch until investigation is complete.
“A higher-than-usual number of possible allergic reactions were reported with a specific lot of Moderna vaccine administered at one community vaccination clinic,” Pan said in a statement on Sunday. “Fewer than 10 individuals required medical attention over the span of 24 hours. Out of an extreme abundance of caution and also recognizing the extremely limited supply of vaccine, we are recommending that providers use other available vaccine
inventory and pause the administration of vaccines from Moderna Lot 041L20A until the investigation by the CDC, FDA, Moderna and the state is complete. We will provide an update as we learn more.”
In Glenn County, approximately 50 of the 100 doses from this batch were administered at a clinic last week, however, the county health department said no immediate allergic reactions occurred during the clinic and the observation period. Anyone who experiences a reaction or side effects after receiving a vaccination should report it to the CDC V-Safe Health Checker online at www. cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019ncov/vaccines/safety/vsafe. html.
Based on the recommendation from state health officials, Glenn County will not be using its remaining doses from Moderna Lot 041L20A until the investigation concludes.