It is quite difficult to receive the first dose of the coronavirus vaccine. But what about the second shot?
It is an issue in the minds of inland residents lucky enough to receive the first of two injections necessary for maximum protection from COVID-19. With the second dose recommended for at least 21 or 28 days after the first, many who have taken the first injection wonder when, or if, they will receive the next one.
Jason Bowen, a 48-year-old high school teacher from Menifee – teachers can be vaccinated in Riverside County – received his first dose of the Modern vaccine on January 19 through the Riverside County public health department.
“As for the second dose, my only concern is that it will be available when I need to take the second dose and that I can make an appointment,” said Bowen via a direct message on Twitter. “Otherwise, it is a waste of time and I have to start all over again.”
Bowen thinks the county should have an automatic registration process or a separate website for those who need a second dose, “because I know the one where I administered my first dose fills up quickly”
Officials in Riverside, San Bernardino and Los Angeles counties said there are plans underway to distribute second doses. And doctors say it’s okay if the second injection comes after three to four weeks.
“The county is working on clinics and specific times for second doses,” Riverside County spokeswoman Brooke Federico said in an email. “The county’s first vaccine clinics were in mid-January, which means that second dose appointments are planned for mid-February. As soon as these clinics are available, we will notify residents via email and website updates. “
Asked if the municipality is reserving doses to give as the second vaccine injection, Federico said: “Yes, but not until future distributions are received. We are not reserving our current allocations to use weeks later for second doses ”according to the California Department of Public Health guidelines.
She added: “We will book appointments for second doses and notify these residents when those clinics and appointments are available.”
San Bernardino County is reserving second doses – 6,679 to be exact, with another 7,200 second doses expected this week, county spokesman David Wert said by email on Monday, January 25.
“People who receive the first doses receive an email to alert them to the need for the second dose and can make an appointment online or by calling the county COVID hotline,” said Wert.
San Bernardino County CEO Leonard Hernandez announced during a meeting of the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, January 26, that the county would open a dedicated place for people to receive their second dose starting on Thursday, 28 January – Arroyo Valley High School in San Bernardino.
“In the first few days, he will give only second doses,” said Hernandez.
And as of the end of this week, people who sign up for a vaccine through the San Bernardino County portal will automatically have an appointment for the second dose at the same time, he said.
Wert pointed out that most injections are administered by providers other than the county and he did not know how they are handling second doses.
In Los Angeles County, consultations for second doses were being reserved with priority over recipients of the first dose. The problem, officials said, is that they don’t know exactly how many doses will come each week.
“We want to be very careful because we cannot predict the supply chain even several weeks in advance,” said Dr. Paul Simon, director of science for the LA County public health department, on Friday, January 22. “There is this tension between vaccinating the largest number of people with the first dose and trying to ensure that all vaccinees receive the complete sequence for two doses”.
With far more demand for vaccines than supply, just taking the first dose is a trial.
It took just 32 minutes for 10,000 consultations at Riverside County vaccination clinics to be claimed on Saturday, January 23. In the same period, 3,900 consultations were scheduled on January 21. Angry residents complained that the county’s nomination website did not work and that no one answered the 211 phone line, that officials in charge of helping the elderly and those without Internet access to consult.
Others said they filled out online forms, only to find that there were no appointments available. County officials announced on Thursday, January 21, that they were redesigning the nominations site, but it still has a state registration portal that frustrates users who fill out online forms, only to learn that all appointments have been booked .
Pfizer recommends that the second injection of your vaccine be given 21 days after the first dose. The other vaccine manufacturer, Moderna, recommends an interval of 28 days between the first and the second injection.
In a January 21 video posted on Riverside County’s public health Facebook page, Dr. Geoffrey Leung of the Riverside University Health System – the Riverside County health network – said it’s okay to get the vaccine later .
“Many people are concerned that if they don’t get their second dose in three or four weeks … they will be in trouble,” said Leung. “And that is not true … you can receive your second dose at any time in three weeks or four weeks or later.”
In guidelines released on January 21, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offered some leeway on how quickly the second dose should be received. It is acceptable to get the second injection within six weeks of the first, said CDC officials.
Although “every effort” must be made to ensure that the same brand of vaccine is used for both doses, “in exceptional situations where the product of the first dose vaccine cannot be determined or is no longer available, any vaccine COVID -19 of available mRNA can be administered with a minimum interval of 28 days between doses, ”added the CDC.
On Monday, California Governor Gavin Newsom promised a more perfect coronavirus vaccination system that should make it easier for almost 40 million residents to know when it’s their turn to vaccinate and where to apply, slowing it down a bit of the confusion and anguish in 58 counties try to launch the meager shots themselves.
The state would switch to an age-based eligibility system after vaccinating those who are now at the front of the line, including health, food and agriculture professionals, teachers, emergency responders and the elderly aged 65 and over, the governor told a news conference . The changes also include a new state website called My Turn – now a pilot program in Los Angeles and San Diego counties – where residents can be notified when it’s their turn and make an appointment.
Editors David Rosenfeld and Ryan Hagen and The Associated Press contributed to this report.