Contra Costa County officials announced on Monday that they were expanding the vaccine’s eligibility to anyone 50 and older, regardless of underlying health conditions.
The move comes about a week after Solano County made the same decision to fill unused schedules.
Residents who live or work in Contra Costa County and are 50 or older can now make an appointment, according to a press release.
Elsewhere in the Bay Area, eligibility is restricted to residents over 65, those aged 16 to 64 with certain underlying health conditions and employees in certain sectors, including health, education and transportation.
Unlike other parts of the bay area, Contra Costa County’s vaccine supply has seen an influx rather than a shortage in recent weeks. In addition to the state’s county allocation each week, Contra Costa County last week received an additional 14,000 doses of vaccine from the federal government for its community health centers, opening thousands of available consultations.
“We are looking forward to the next few months, when we will be able to eliminate the vaccine’s eligibility, when anyone and everyone is eligible,” Diane Burgis, Chairman of the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors, said in a press release. “More and more doses of vaccine are arriving in the county each week and we expect this trend to continue.”
On Monday, more than 336,000 residents of Contra Costa County received at least one dose of the vaccine, including 96% of those aged 75 or older. Monday’s announcement is expected to nearly double that number, as more than 235,000 residents of Contra Costa County are between 50-64 years old.
“We are making good progress in vaccinating already qualified groups and now we will continue to prioritize the most vulnerable groups in our community more,” said county health officer Dr. Chris Farnitano in a statement.
Check back for updates.