People with a wide range of medical conditions will be eligible for the vaccine starting Monday, March 15, as will anyone at a health center like a shelter for the homeless or in prison.
People should rightly be dizzy with President Biden’s announcement on Thursday night that everyone should be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine by May 1. But in terms of the here and now, NPR reports that 19.3% of the US population has received at least one dose, while across the state, California is slightly behind that rate, at 19.2%. And in a statement today, Mayor London Breed said that San Francisco is well ahead of both, with an impressive 27%.
But that is not the biggest news in the breed announcement. The big news is that more groups will be eligible to receive the vaccine starting Monday, March 15, according to the Chronicle. These groups include a very wide range of people with qualifying medical conditions and those who live in congregational care facilities, such as homeless shelters or correctional facilities.
“Taking vaccines for people with disabilities who have severe underlying conditions, and people who are in congregated environments, is an important part of our efforts to save lives and protect our most vulnerable residents,” Breed said in a statement on Friday. “Next week, we will be moving forward with expanding access to the vaccine in San Francisco and will continue to work with accessibility advocates and community members to ensure that we are doing our best to reach everyone who is eligible.”
His statement adds that “Although the supply is not yet at the level we need, we continue to make good progress and will do our best to deliver vaccines to people as quickly and conveniently as we can.”
To ensure low barrier access to vaccines, SF will not require that vaccination sites that do not have access to patients’ medical records require proof of diagnosis and / or disability.
Instead, patients may be asked to provide a self-attestation of their qualifying condition.
– Matt Haney (@MattHaneySF) March 12, 2021
Breed’s announcement expands the eligibility of the updated state that was announced on Thursday, which included a range of medical conditions like cancer, pregnancy and a range of heart disease. According to KRON4, San Francisco is adding other groups eligible to include “people living with HIV and developmental medical, physical, physical, sensory or behavioral disabilities”. Anyone between the ages of 16 and 64 with these conditions will be eligible on Monday, 65 and older are already eligible.
San Francisco will expand the vaccine’s eligibility on Monday to people with disabilities and serious underlying health conditions, as well as homeless people living in congregated environments, city officials said. https://t.co/mTBUQNAPAQ
– SF Examiner (@sfexaminer) March 12, 2021
The sudden new eligibility of the homeless population will certainly raise some eyebrows, but that does not seem to mean that the entire SF homeless population. According to Breed’s announcement, vaccines can go to anyone at a “high-risk congregated care center, including correctional facilities, homeless shelters and other residential care and treatment centers”, and that “this will include all people who experience homelessness, who could transition to congregated environments in a short time. ”The examiner adds that the city is already planning mobile vaccination sites to reach the homeless.
If you are in one of these new eligible groups, or any Phase 1b group, you can go to SF.gov/getvaccinated to make an appointment. The website says that “even if you are eligible, there may not be a dose available right now”, but keep checking. And, of course, your trip on the Muni is free to and from your appointment.
Related: Want a vaccine before you qualify? California creates new volunteer registration site [SFist]
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