Second In Command
County to stick with policy of giving 2nd doses
To administer the second dose or not to administer the second dose, that is the question. The answer in Tulare County is to continue to administer a second dose COVID-19 vaccines.
But Tulare County Health and Human Services Director Tim Lutz admitted that will continue to cause frustration for those who are still seeking a first dose of a vaccine. Lutz provided his report on how the health department plans to continue to administer vaccines during his presentation on the status of COVID-19 in the county at the Tulare County Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday.
Lutz reported it’s beginning to be suggested on the federal level to administer as many first doses as possible with the thinking being it’s better to vaccinate as many people as possible and there’s still some effectiveness with a first dose. But Lutz added the state and the Centers for Disease Control is still advocating second doses should be administered of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. So Tulare County is sticking with a policy to administer a second dose.
That means, Lutz said, this week and next week the priority will be to administer second doses to people who have received a first dose. “Our priority continues to be that people receive that second dose,” Lutz said.
Lutz admitted “that creates challenges for us” when it comes to providing vaccines when the supply is still limited
About switching to a policy in which as many people as possible would be given a first dose, Lutz said “there’s just not enough good information” to do that right now.
So Lutz said there will be “a lot of second doses” administered “which is limiting supply for first doses.”
Lutz said the health department is in the process of finalizing a playbook which will cover the county’s policy on administering vaccines and the playbook will be placed on the health department’s website at https://covid19.tulare
county.ca.gov/covid-19vaccine/ for the public to view.
“We want to be as transparent as possible recognizing limited supply causes a lot of frustration,” Lutz said.
Those who are in Phase 1A, which includes health workers and vulnerable people they care for, and those in Phase IB, tier 1 are now eligible to receive a vaccine. Those in Phase IB, tier 1 are educators who work in schools and childcare, first responders, farmworkers and those who work in the food industry and those 65 and older.
Lutz said for those four groups, the policy will be to administer about 25 percent of available vaccines to each group, but won’t be formula based, as everyone in those groups who are able to schedule an appoint will receive a vaccine.
As of Tuesday morning there have been 24,147 Tulare County residents who have received a vaccine, Lutz said. He said 15.6 percent of those residents have received a second dose.
The health department is also continuing to work on providing “mass” vaccination centers such as Tulare’s International Ag Center and is working to expand vaccinations provided at Porterville College, Lutz said.
Also in the works is a plan to provide vaccines at one of the two state testing centers in Dinuba and the Porterville Veterans Building. Lutz said the preference is to offer the vaccines in Dinuba.
The health department continues to post the following message on its COVID website: “All Vaccine appointments at Tulare County Public Health Clinics are FULL. More appointments will be added as soon as more vaccine becomes available. We THANK YOU for your patience.”
Those who have questions about vaccines can call 559-685-2260. Residents can also fill out the vaccine interest form at https://covid19.tularecounty.ca.gov/covid-19vaccine/tulare-countycovid-vaccine-interestform/
CVS to begin providing vaccines
CVS announced it will begin providing vaccinations at 100 CVS pharmacies across the state on February 11. CVS will begin accepting appointments for vaccinations on February 9. Those who are in Phase 1A, Phase IB, tier 1A, and 65 and older are also eligible to receive the vaccines at participating CVS pharmacies.
CVS stated it will initially receive 81,900 total doses. Locations of CVS pharmacies that will provide vaccines include Agoura Hills, Bakersfield, Carmel, Carlsbad, Chula Vista, Clovis, Eureka,
Huntington Beach, Irvine, La Jolla, Los Angeles, Modesto, Monterey, Newport Beach, San Diego, San Francisco, Sonoma, Sunnyvale, Ventura and Yuba City. As more supply becomes available CVS will expand to more locations.
People can register in advance at Cvs.com or through the CVS pharmacy app, and people without online access can contact CVS customer service: (800) 746-7287. Walk-in vaccinations without an appointment won’t be provided.
Much like there have been issues with the overall rollout of vaccines there have also been issues with the rollout of vaccines at Walgreens and CVS when it comes to providing vaccines at nursing homes and assisted living facilities. CVS stated on Tuesday it has provided vaccines to residents and staff at more than 15,000 longterm care facilities in the state.
For more information visit www.cvshealth. com.