After weeks of delaying the distribution of coronavirus vaccines to the elderly, Kaiser Permanente is trying to regain some ground as of this week.
Kaiser CEO Greg Adams announced on Saturday that California authorities have increased the health giant’s vaccine distribution to more accurately match its large share of the state’s healthcare market.
As a result, Kaiser is starting to schedule appointments several weeks in advance and, finally, starting to offer vaccine schedules to members aged 65 and over.
“This will make it easier for you to get an appointment and plan your vaccination in advance,” Adams said in the statement.
California divides its vaccine supply each week between 58 California counties and nine health networks in several counties, including Kaiser Permanente. But Kaiser officials complained for weeks that he was receiving a disproportionately small amount of vaccines.
In a statement last month, Adams said Kaiser, which serves nearly a quarter of Californians, was receiving approximately 40,000 doses of vaccine a week, but had the capacity to administer more than 200,000. The company’s only limitation, he said, is the availability and access to the vaccine.
After defending the state to increase its vaccine supply, Kaiser is scheduled to receive 20% of California’s vaccine supply and increase its ability to deliver more than 600,000 doses of vaccine per week throughout California, according to a statement from the company.
Unlike Sutter Health and UCSF Health, which have provided vaccines for people over 65 for weeks, Kaiser is just beginning to make appointments for members between the ages of 65 and 75.
Kaiser is initially reaching people over 65 who are at increased risk of exposure or complications from COVID-19 due to factors such as underlying medical conditions and high-risk professions.
Kaiser members are not yet able to email or call the company to make an appointment, but they must wait for the healthcare provider to contact them and inform them that they are eligible for a vaccine appointment.
As of Saturday, Kaiser had vaccinated more than 666,000 Californians, including more than 125,000 health professionals and hundreds of thousands of elderly people aged 75 and over.
“With vaccine supplies steadily increasing, we look forward to the day when all of our members and communities can be vaccinated,” said Adams in a statement on Saturday. “In the meantime, we remain committed to working in partnership with the state of California, other healthcare providers and companies to vaccinate everyone we can using all available resources.”
Please check again for updates.