There was a mad rush across the Inland Empire to get injections of COVID-19 from California on Wednesday, January 13, expanded eligibility to receive the vaccine.
The demand is so great that, in less than two hours on the afternoon of Friday, January 15, Riverside County residents managed to get all 11,000 appointments available for new vaccination clinics. Web traffic has overwhelmed the county’s vaccines website, causing the nomination page to crash while people try to access it.
In the midst of confusion and chaos, many have doubts. Here are a few, along with the answers:
Q: Who is eligible for a COVID-19 photo?
AN: In Riverside County, people 65 and older, along with police, teachers, food and agriculture workers and emergency workers like firefighters, can now be shot, county spokeswoman Brooke Federico said.
Food workers include grocery workers, she said, as well as those who work in stores that sell a wide variety of other products, if groceries are also sold. Details on who is eligible in the food service category are available on this state website: https://covid19.ca.gov/search/?q=grocery#gsc.tab=0&gsc.q=grocery&gsc.page=1
In San Bernardino County, those who are at least 65 years old can now be shot, said spokesman David Wert.
Los Angeles County, however, is still vaccinating only health professionals and residents of long-term care facilities. Riverside and San Bernardino counties have also administered vaccines to health professionals and health center residents.
Los Angeles County officials estimate they will start vaccinating the elderly in early February. During this phase, those at risk of exposure in the areas of education, day care, emergency services and the food and agriculture industries will also receive vaccines.
Q: How do I schedule a scene?
AN: In Riverside and San Bernardino counties, people are encouraged to watch the county’s vaccine websites – www.ruhealth.org/covid-19-vaccine in Riverside County and https://sbcovid19.com/vaccine/locations/ San Bernardino County – and schedule an appointment when new vaccination clinics are offered.
Applications are not yet available in Los Angeles County, but updates on who can be vaccinated are provided at VaccinateLACounty.com.
Q: What if I don’t have a computer or don’t know how to use the Internet?
AN: Riverside County residents can call 211 for help signing up for a county vaccination clinic.
San Bernardino County residents can call 909-387-3911 for help.
In Los Angeles County, anyone who does not have access to the Internet or is not comfortable using it can call the Los Angeles County 241 information number, 211.
P: Vaccination clinics are filling up so fast that I couldn’t make an appointment. How do I know when the next round of clinics is scheduled?
AN: San Bernardino County on Thursday launched a notification system that alerts people by email or text, depending on their preference, when more clinics are available, said Wert. “In just a few hours, we had 7,000 people registered for these alerts,” he said.
Riverside County is working to establish a similar warning system, said Federico. Los Angeles County residents can sign up to receive an email newsletter for vaccine updates at VaccinateLACounty.gov.
Q: Are there any other places to get the vaccine?
AN: Yes. For example, Kaiser Permanente added a naming tool to its website – kp.org – on Friday, said Anamaria Bearden, spokeswoman for Kaiser’s service area in Riverside County. “We are notifying members when they are eligible for nominations,” she said.
Albertsons and Ralphs pharmacies and Apple Urgent Care are also supplying vaccines in partnership with Riverside County. Vaccines are available at health centers and pharmacies Sav-On and Vons, among other locations, in San Bernardino County.
Q: What do I need to take to a county vaccine clinic to prove that I am entitled to an injection?
AN: Age-confirming identification – driver’s license, passport or state identity card – if you are 65 or older and live in Riverside County. Those who get vaccines because they work in a job category eligible for the vaccine can bring a job identification card, paycheck or letter from their employer verifying the job, said Federico.
In San Bernardino County, Wert said, residents must bring identity documents proving they are 65 or older.
Q: Can I show up without an appointment?
AN: No. Early registration is required.
Q: Can I get the vaccine in a different county than the one I live in?
AN: Generally speaking, no. But if you have a healthcare job in another county, you can get a chance in that county.
Q: Will Inland Empire offer mass vaccination sites, such as Disneyland and Dodger Stadium?
AN: San Bernardino County expects next week to announce a “super site” for large-scale vaccinations in the county, Wert said. Riverside County is not planning to do that and instead is focused on providing as many vaccination sites as possible in different communities “because Riverside County is very large geographically,” said Federico.
Authorities in all counties in the area are asking for patience as they wait for more vaccine supplies to arrive. In Riverside County alone, Federico said, 700,000 people can now receive injections. Wert said he did not know how many were eligible in San Bernardino County, but the United States Census estimates the county’s elderly population at around 260,000.