In case you forgot, the state of California is allowing people over 65 to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
But in Los Angeles County, health officials say they are not ready to immunize people in this age group until February, at the very least. That’s because there are simply not enough doses of the vaccine available yet.
The county and its 200 partners currently have close to 700,000 doses for healthcare professionals and have administered nearly 300,000 so far, according to Dr. Paul Simon, of the LA County Department of Public Health, who spoke to the local health program. news and culture from our Take Two newsroom, which airs at 89.3 KPCC.
To vaccinate more people, the county is opening five large-scale vaccination centers, including one at Dodger Stadium, which is expected to vaccinate up to 4,000 people a day – 260,000 by the end of the month. O The county expects its partners to be able to administer doses to another 250,000 people, so that 500,000 health workers are vaccinated by the end of the month, including support staff.
But all of this got us thinking: how can you know when it’s time to you to get your shot?
Simon said the county will use several different channels to ensure that citizens are aware when their turn comes:
“Of course, we will work with the media to spread the news. In addition, [we’ll be] work with health professionals, who will then contact their patients in this age group. We will work with several organizations like AARP and others. And we have a newsletter that everyone can subscribe to on our website. Therefore, we will use all of these channels to try to get the message out. “
That website is VaccinateLACounty.com.
Look for the subscription box in the newsletter on the left (if you’re on the desktop) or near the top of the page on your mobile. Or just click on the image here.
When you apply, county officials will inform you that you will be informed through the newsletter of which groups are eligible to receive the vaccine.
LA County is still in the first phase, Phase 1A, which the public health facility defines as:
“Health professionals listed in Phase 1A who have the potential for direct or indirect exposure to patients or infectious materials. (Low-risk health workers, such as administrative support staff WITHOUT routine personal contact with the patient, will receive the vaccination in Phase 1B Level 2). “
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Here’s a look at long-term trends in the county, state, and the USA, courtesy of the Google News Initiative and California’s COVID-19 panel. You can also visit our California COVID-19 Tracker and choose California or any county in the state that interests you.
CASES AND DEATHS
HOSPITALIZATIONS AND ICU CAPACITY
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