In the past two weeks, there has been a daily deluge of news – and frustration – about COVID-19 vaccinations, highlighted this week by the establishment of mass vaccination sites in South Bay, East Bay and San Francisco. Providers have also expanded access to people most at risk of serious illness or death.
The initiatives must be good news for those who are confused by the distorted explanations, the stubborn websites and the hours of waiting that have characterized the launch of the vaccine so far. But the biggest problem remains: the limited supply of approved vaccines, even as Biden’s administration has increased production and a new single vaccine appears to be almost ready for distribution.
See the latest developments and what they mean to you.
So, who can get the vaccine now?
The state has authorized the vaccination of frontline health workers, nursing home patients and, more recently, people aged 65 and over. But not every county and health care provider has been able to accommodate these groups, and the state admits that these residents will be prioritized “as the supply allows”.
Contra Costa, San Mateo, Santa Clara and San Francisco counties have formally green vaccinations for residents over 65. Alameda County says coverage for the elderly will begin on Monday, although some hospital systems have already started.
But others are choosing to limit distribution due to inadequate supply. Kaiser, for example, is restricting the vaccination of non-health professionals to patients aged 75 and over, citing limited doses. John Muir Health says he plans to expand to patients aged 65 to 74 on February 15.
Bay Area counties are still asking eligible vaccine recipients to first seek out their own health care providers, to ensure efficient use of each entity’s vaccine allocations and to reserve doses provided to county health systems for people without insurance and needy communities.
But the message changed last week. Santa Clara County has just instituted a “no wrong door” policy encouraging anyone currently qualified for a vaccine to obtain one from any provider, regardless of membership in the hospital or insurance. This came after a revelation that about 20% of vaccines distributed in the county were not programmed. Other counties are now offering similar guidance.
In the meantime, interest groups continue to advocate a special vaccine priority for their members, including rural workers, teachers and people with health problems. Last week, a group of bay area health officials asked providers to resist these calls. Focus only on the elderly, they said.
How are these mass vaccination sites going to work?
This week, a state-federal partnership was announced that will instruct the Federal Emergency Management Agency to operate a mass vaccination site at the Oakland Coliseum starting February 16; reservations are promised through the state’s new MyTurn.ca.gov website. The Moscone Center has just opened as a mass vaccination site run by San Francisco and Kaiser. Santa Clara County has announced that it is partnering with the San Francisco 49ers to build a venue at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, opening on Tuesday; check sccfreevax.org for appointments.
The purpose of these sites is to expand the reach of the vaccine to target populations and provide some relief to people who are uninsured or unable to go through their own providers’ scheduling systems. Some of these organizations are also placing pop-up sites in heavily impacted neighborhoods for the same purpose.
What’s going on with the supply? Shouldn’t a new vaccine be launched soon?
A significant increase in doses is necessary to vaccinate enough of the US population to obtain herd immunity and end the pandemic. Even with the state tripling its daily vaccines to 150,000 last month, only 9% of California’s 40 million residents received vaccines.
The Biden government has ordered an additional 200 million doses from Pfizer and Moderna, and plans to send 1 million doses to pharmacies across the country. CVS will begin administering vaccines in 100 of its California stores starting Thursday.
The supply situation tends to improve with the distribution of a new vaccine from Johnson & Johnson, after being reviewed for emergency authorization by the Food and Drug Administration at the end of the month.
Dr. Monica Gandhi, professor and infectious disease specialist at UC San Francisco, is optimistic about the impact of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, as it requires only one dose – the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines consist of two injections given between three and four weeks interval – and does not require frozen storage.
The company says it can supply 100 million doses of vaccines to the federal government in the first half of 2021.
“This is a game changer,” said Gandhi. “The vaccine will be launched much faster.”
As supplies increase, more categories of people may be vaccinated. If vaccine production continues to increase as planned, people aged 16 and over in the lowest-risk categories may begin receiving vaccines this summer.
Let’s go back to the second shots. I’ve heard of side effects. Are they bad?
Reports in the past few days have noted that second doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are having more side effects than the first dose – mainly flu-like symptoms, such as swelling, pain, body aches, headache and fever. But medical experts say this is a sign that the vaccine is triggering the desired immune response.
Gandhi said that in most cases, fainting from the second dose is controllable with painkillers and rest.
I am fully vaccinated. What can I do?
The prevailing medical consensus urges vaccinated people to behave as if they were not vaccinated, because they can still be carriers – research has yet to establish that Pfizer and Moderna vaccines prevent disease transmission.
But Gandhi sees little risk in two vaccinated people meeting and having contact. And she believes that a person vaccinated with a negative test also has little to fear when interacting with unvaccinated friends and family. Just take precautions: Mask and try to keep your distance.
“It is a matter of message that tells people that, even if you are not vaccinated, nothing changes. I know that public health officials are well intentioned, but that’s not how the real world works, ”said Gandhi. “I don’t think this is sustainable, people have been waiting so long for vaccines and the loneliness is deep.”