LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) – The President of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, Hilda L. Solis, on Monday signed an executive order directing the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health to make consultations for the COVID-19 vaccine available to residents aged 65 and over starting on Thursday.
“In the past few weeks, Los Angeles County has administered the vaccine to frontline health workers so that they can be safe while doing the important work of saving lives, and residents and staff at qualified nursing facilities and long-term care. facilities term, ”Solis said in a statement sent by email. “The launch of the COVID-19 vaccine has been a huge undertaking, especially during an unprecedented rise where cases, hospitalizations and deaths continue to skyrocket.
“However, if we want to get out of this gloomy winter, it is critical that we move forward by vaccinating people aged 65 and over as quickly as possible – according to the recommendations of Governor Gavin Newsom,” the statement continues.
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Solis said he was giving the health department by Thursday to start opening appointments for people aged 65 and over by Thursday so that they could “properly prepare for implementation.
But hours earlier, Dr. Jeffrey Gunzenhauser, the county’s chief medical officer, said the county was not yet at a point to move forward with vaccinating the elderly.
“If we see by the end of the week that the rate of increase on the part of healthcare professionals is falling, suggesting that we need to move on to what is called Phase 1B, particularly Level 1 for the elderly, we will make this call very quickly,” he said .
The shift comes as Cedars-Sinai researchers announce that a new local strain, called Cal.20C, may be contributing to the increase and has been found in more than a third of COVID-19 cases in Los Angeles.
Gunzenhauser said the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has observed this, and a number of other mutations – including one first detected in the United Kingdom.
“We are concerned that if that, you know, comes up and causes a lot of transmission, we may see a big wave in February or March,” he said.
Public Health has not yet released a statement addressing the executive order, which can be viewed online, but previously said it was delaying the launch for older residents, citing the shortage of vaccines, since it worked to vaccinate health professionals and from the front line.
The department will receive a virtual city hall for the COVID-19 vaccine on Wednesday.
Watch the COVID-19 Vaccine Town Hall tomorrow at 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm.
Submit a question at https://t.co/KT7Lzwc3H1 https://t.co/o9zdL0PZ9s
– LA Public Health (@lapublichealth) January 18, 2021