As of March 15, the state of California is opening eligibility for the COVID-19 vaccine to people between 16 and 64 years of age who have a serious underlying health condition or are at risk because of a developmental disability or another serious disability.
Dr. Mark Ghaly, secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency, said it would add about 4 to 6 million people to the approximately 13 million Californians already qualified to receive the vaccine.
This will include people with the following conditions:
- Cancer, current with weakened or immunocompromised status
- Chronic kidney disease, stage 4 or higher
- Oxygen-dependent chronic lung disease
- Immunocompromised state (weakened immune system) of solid organ transplant
- Heart problems, such as heart failure, coronary artery disease or cardiomyopathies (excludes hypertension)
- Severe obesity (body mass index ≥ 40 kg / m2)
- Type 2 diabetes mellitus with hemoglobin A1c level greater than 7.5%
Currently eligible for the vaccine in California are healthcare professionals, long-term care residents, people aged 65 and over, and those working in the education and daycare, emergency services and food and agriculture sectors.
However, in San Luis Obispo County, only health professionals and people aged 65 and over are eligible to register for COVID-19 vaccine consultations now, and in Santa Barbara County, consultations are limited to health care professionals. health and people aged 75 and over. County public health officials attributed the lack of vaccine supplies to limited consultations.
Santa Barbara County plans to extend vaccination appointments for people aged 65 to 74 as of Tuesday, February 16.
County public health director Van Do-Reynoso said on Friday that Santa Barbara County will also open vaccine consultations for the disabled and those with underlying illnesses on March 16, when they become eligible for the state. She said the education and daycare, emergency services and food and agriculture sectors would be next, but did not give a specific date.