County of Santa Clara Health System Expands COVID-19 Vaccination to Individuals Age 65 and Older
IMPORTANT UPDATE: The County Health System, El Camino Health and Stanford Healthcare are now scheduling vaccination appointments for county residents who are 65 and older. Click here to review eligibility or to schedule an appointment.
The State of California has authorized all healthcare systems statewide to vaccinate any persons age 65 and older, in addition to continuing vaccinations for healthcare workers and residents of long-term care facilities. However, due to limited vaccine supply, some healthcare systems in our County are offering vaccination only to people age 75 and older at this time. The County does not determine vaccine eligibility. Following the State’s priority phases and tiers, each healthcare system decides what categories of patients they have the capacity to vaccinate at any given time.
Appointments Available at Multiple Locations Across the County from Gilroy to Mountain View; Innovative Pilots Aim to Increase Access for Residents in County’s Most At-Risk Communities
Officials announced this week that the County of Santa Clara Health System is expanding COVID-19 vaccination to individuals age 65 and older, following the State of California’s current guidance for vaccine allocation. County residents 65 and older can begin scheduling appointments now for openings Wednesday, January 27 and thereafter. The County Health System is the largest provider of COVID-19 vaccines in Santa Clara County. The system has already administered nearly 60,000 first doses and has a weekly capacity of more than 30,000 vaccine appointments. The County has made significant strides in providing vaccines to healthcare workers and county residents age 75 and older.
“As the vaccine becomes available to more of our residents, the County continues its deep commitment to equity and ensuring access for our communities most at risk of contracting COVID-19,” said Dr. Jennifer Tong, Associate Chief Medical Officer for the County of Santa Clara Health System. In addition to mass vaccination sites at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds, Berger Drive in San Jose, and the Mountain View Community Center, the County has capacity to vaccinate hundreds of residents per day at several Valley Health Center locations, including up to 600 people per day in Gilroy.
The County is also partnering with community clinics to ensure that residents can access vaccines in community-based settings, and has launched a pilot mobile vaccination clinic to ensure vaccine access for staff and residents of long-term care facilities, where residents are among the most at risk of severe illness and death from COVID-19. “Older residents and those living in skilled nursing facilities continue to be the population at greatest risk for serious illness and death from COVID-19,” said Dr. Monika Roy, Assistant Public Health Officer for the County of Santa Clara. “We are coordinating efforts with local fire departments and emergency medical services providers and sending vaccinators into the field to ensure those at greatest risk can be vaccinated as quickly as possible.”
Appointments for vaccination can be scheduled through sccfreevax.org. In addition, to assist residents who lack internet or computer access with scheduling appointments, the County has hosted appointment sign-up fairs in community locations in East San José, Gilroy, and Cupertino, and plans several more in the coming weeks.
The ability to quickly expand access to vaccination in Santa Clara County depends on the supply of vaccine. The County received only 20,125 additional first doses of vaccine this week for allocation to the County Health System and other vaccine providers, far fewer doses than health systems in the County have capacity to provide. The County continues to urge the state to allocate more vaccine to the County so that we can increase the number of residents that are vaccinated each day.
The County’s COVID-19 Vaccine Dashboard is updated daily with information about vaccine allocation and administration by healthcare providers throughout the county. The latest updates on vaccine eligibility and how to schedule an appointment are available on the County’s website at sccfreevax.org.
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