Santa Clara County announces the city will not join Blue Shield vaccine plan

Santa Clara County will not participate in Gov. Gavin Newsom’s plan to have Blue Shield control COVID-19 vaccine distribution in California, a newspaper reported.

County Executive Dr. Jeff Smith said late Monday that the county will not sign a contract with the health insurance company because it would not improve speed or efficiency, The Mercury News reported.

The state’s switch to a vaccine appointment and delivery system administered by Blue Shield was expected to be completed by March 31. Skepticism, however, has surfaced among the state’s 58 counties.

So far, only Kern County has signed a contract with Blue Shield. But 41 federally qualified health centers, 28 hospitals, four large medical groups, three pharmacies and three tribal clinics have signed on, according to the company.

In a statement to The Associated Press sent Tuesday, Santa Clara County said it has been distributing the COVID-19 vaccine from the start, ensuring equitable outreach to socially disadvantaged communities, including farm workers. The county noted that its allocations have decreased recently and are expected to drop further.

“A statewide third-party administrator clearly cannot adequately address the needs of our local community. We don’t need more bureaucracy limiting access to vaccine, we just need more vaccine,” Smith said.

The state turned to Blue Shield to create uniform rules and increase the rate of vaccinations, with the state’s My Turn system serving as the central portal for getting appointments. Blue Shield is also tasked with improving service to hardhit communities.

“Our goal is to save lives by helping to provide all Californians equitable access to the vaccines, especially in those communities hardest hit by the pandemic,” Blue Shield spokesperson Matthew Yi said in a statement.