San Francisco will allow people with HIV to be vaccinated, along with people who identify themselves as deaf or disabled, starting on Monday, when California opens the number of residents eligible for the coronavirus vaccine for people with certain illnesses or disabilities high risk.
It is estimated that 4.4 million Californians meet state criteria, which includes more essential workers, people who work or live in prisons, shelters for the homeless and other congregating locations, and those with disabilities and health conditions than put you at risk for serious COVID-19.
San Francisco is moving beyond state eligibility rules to cover developmental, medical, physical, sensory or behavioral deficiencies, including severe mental health or substance use disorders, reported the San Francisco Chronicle on Sunday.
“Vaccination of people with disabilities and with serious underlying conditions, and people who are in crowded environments, is an important part of our efforts to save lives and protect our most vulnerable residents,” said Mayor London Breed in a statement.
She warned that, despite opening the vaccine’s eligibility to several new groups, the supply remains low. So far, about 27% of San Francisco residents have received at least one dose of the vaccine.
Qualified people will not be required to provide documentation, but will be asked to sign a self-attestation that they meet the criteria, the state public health department said.
As of Sunday, health care providers reported administering nearly 11.8 million doses of vaccine across the state, the department said.
The increase in vaccinations is part of a broader improvement across California, which will have more than 90% of the state’s population of nearly 40 million residents outside the most restrictive color-coding level on Wednesday.