AND AS WE HAVE BEEN REPORTING THE GUIDELINES FOR WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO GET THEIR SHOT IS DIFFERENT FROM COUNTY TO COUNTY, AND WE ARE COMMITTED TO STAYING UP TO DATE ON THIS EVERY DAY. LISA KCRA’S VICKI GONZALEZ HAS : BEEN REACHING OUT TO SURROUNDING COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENTS ABOUT WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO GET THEIR SHOTS. SHE’S HELPING US GET THE FACTS TODAY, AND CLEARS UP SOME MISINFORMATION CIRCULATING ONLINE. BRITTANY: THERE IS A LOT TO GO THROUGH. WE’RE GOING TO START OFF IN SACRAMENTO COUNTY, THEY SAID AND EMAIL CLEARING UP CONFUSION AFTER SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS INDICATED TEACHERS AND EDUCATORS WERE ELIGIBLE TO GET THE VACCINE IN SACRAMENTO COUNTY. PUBLIC HEALTH SAID THIS IS UNTRUE. IN SACRAMENTO COUNTY THE ONLY SUBGROUPS WITHIN THE PHASE 1B SUBGROUPS ELIGIBLE ARE THOSE 65-AND-OLDER AS WELL AS LAW ENFORCEMENT AND EMERGENCY SERVICES. IN AN EXCERPT OF AN EMAIL SENT LATE LAST NIGHT SACRAMENTO COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH EXPLAINED, PEOPLE HAVE ALSO BEEN SHARING VACCINATION REGISTRATION LINKS ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND ATTEMPTING TO SCHEDULE APPOINTMENTS PRIOR TO BEING ELIGIBLE, WHICH DELAYS OUR ABILITY TO VACCINATE PRIORITY GROUPS SUCH AS SENIORS. ADDING, WE ASSURE YOU THAT WHEN K-12 SCHOOL STAFF BECOME ELIGIBLE FOR VACCINATION IN SACRAMENTO COUNTY, YOU WILL HEAR ABOUT IT FROM US, NOT FACEBOOK OR NEXT DOOR. I REACHED OUT TO SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND TEACHERS UNIONS TO GET SOME MORE CLARITY. THROUGH THEIR EXPLANATION, THERE WERE INDIVIDUALS WHO WERE ABLE TO GET VACCINATED, BUT THEY QUALIFY FOR ANOTHER ELIGIBILITY TEAR. THEY COULD BE 65 AND OLDER, THEY COULD BE A CARETAKER FOR A FAMILY MEMBER AND THAT CLEARS UP A LITTLE CONFUSION. WE WILL HEAD TO YOLO COUNTY ALLOWING VOLUNTEERS WHO VOLUNTEER COVID-19 CLINICS TO BE ELIGIBLE TO GET THE VACCINE. IN YOLO COUNTY, THEY ARE PRIORITIZING THOSE 75 AND OLDER FOR VACCINES DUE TO SUPPLY ISSUES. VOLUNTEERS AT THE VACCINE CLINICS ARE ELIGIBLE TO GET A VACCINE. YOLO COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH EXPLAINS THAT THESE VOLUNTEERS AT THESE COVID-19 VACCINE CLINICS ARE CONSIDERED HEALTH-CARE WORKERS ANY TO VOLUNTEER FOR A MANDATORY OF TWO CLINICS TO BECOME ELIGIBLE. IT IS ACROSS THE STATE WHEN IT COMES TO A SUPPLY ISSUE. IN EL DORADO COUNTY THEY ARE PRIORITIZING THOSE 75 AND OLDER FOR VACCINES DUE TO THAT SUPPLY ISSUE, ADDING APPOINTMENTS ALREADY BOOKED AND SCHEDULED THROUGH MID FEBRUARY. THEY WILL OPEN UP MORE APPOINTMENT SLOTS AS VACCINE BECOMES AVAILABLE. FINALLY PLACER COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH’S ELIGBILITY GOES BEYOND SURROUNDING COUNTIE AND HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS. CURRENTLY THOSE IN ALL TIERS OF PHASE 1B ARE ELIGIBLE. THAT INCLUDES THOSE 65-AND-OLDER. BUT ALSO EDUCATORS CHILDCARE LAW ENFORCEMENT AND EMERGENCY SERVICES. AS LONG AS THEY ARE EMPLOYED THROUGH THE COUNTY. SO AS YOU CAN SEE A LOT TO SORT THROUGH. AND WHO IS ELIGIBLE VARIES FROM ONE HOSPITAL TO ONE COUNTY TO THE NEXT. BUT OVERARCHING ISSUE ISN’T ELIGIBILITY BUT AVAILABILITY. THEY ARE ONLY ABLE TO VACCINATE AS SUPPLY ALLO
El Dorado County lays out COVID-19 vaccine supply issue
The problem isn’t eligibility, it’s vaccine availability
El Dorado County laid out an issue plaguing counties and providers across the state: The issue of vaccination isn’t a problem of eligibility, but availability. In an email to KCRA 3, the county explains it is following the state’s eligibility framework. However, they are prioritizing those 75 and older in Phase 1A and Phase 1B Tier 1, which includes health care workers, those in assisted living centers, dental and pharmacy staff, educators, childcare, emergency responders and those in food and agriculture. | MORE | Click here to see where El Dorado County stands on its vaccination progression“Our two public health offices and Safeway pharmacy appointments are scheduled full through mid-February. We won’t open up new appointment slots unless (we) have vaccine to administer,” the county explained in a statement to KCRA3. The county detailed the vaccine gap. There are roughly 41,000 El Dorado County residents 65 and older. However, the average number of vaccine doses allocated to the county weekly is 2,783. The county added that planned vaccination clinics have the capacity for thousands more. “Again, not an administration issue (we have more than enough people & places to do the actual vaccination), not a demand issue (we have a wait list of 22,000 who signed up for “surplus” doses should they become available), we have a supply problem,” the email says.| RELATED | California COVID-19 vaccine tracker: See where, how many doses have been administered
El Dorado County laid out an issue plaguing counties and providers across the state: The issue of vaccination isn’t a problem of eligibility, but availability.
In an email to KCRA 3, the county explains it is following the state’s eligibility framework. However, they are prioritizing those 75 and older in Phase 1A and Phase 1B Tier 1, which includes health care workers, those in assisted living centers, dental and pharmacy staff, educators, childcare, emergency responders and those in food and agriculture.
| MORE | Click here to see where El Dorado County stands on its vaccination progression
“Our two public health offices and Safeway pharmacy appointments are scheduled full through mid-February. We won’t open up new appointment slots unless (we) have vaccine to administer,” the county explained in a statement to KCRA3.
The county detailed the vaccine gap. There are roughly 41,000 El Dorado County residents 65 and older. However, the average number of vaccine doses allocated to the county weekly is 2,783. The county added that planned vaccination clinics have the capacity for thousands more.
“Again, not an administration issue (we have more than enough people & places to do the actual vaccination), not a demand issue (we have a wait list of 22,000 who signed up for “surplus” doses should they become available), we have a supply problem,” the email says.
| RELATED | California COVID-19 vaccine tracker: See where, how many doses have been administered