You may be eligible for the COVID vaccine, but is your county prepared?
You may be eligible for the COVID vaccine, but is your county prepared?
The expansion of eligibility of the COVID vaccine to those 65 and older has many wondering when they can get it. But it's also leading to confusion as counties and health care providers may not have the infrastructure to get the doses into arms.
SAN FRANCISCO - Whether you can get a vaccine, is likely depdendent on the county you live in. Some are moving forward vaccinating people who are 65 and older, while some counties are still sticking with 75 plus.
With confusion in large quantities, and vaccine in short supply, getting a shot isn't simple.
But Sandra said she's determined to see her grandchildren.
"I just figure it's the smartest thing to do so I figured why not? I'm almost 70 and decided I should take the brave leap," she said.
And the state of California says those 65 and up are now eligible. But finding a spot serving that age group is hard.
San Francisco just started Wednesday at two of their clinics.
And Contra Costa County announced they'll make appointments for the 65 and up crowd, though the slots may be weeks away.
Places like Napa and Santa Clara County, say they can't do 65 yet becayse they're just getting started on those over 75.
The same is true of Sutter and Stanford health systems.
"Rolling this out by different risk group when we don't have an adequate amount of vaccine, and we have different kinds of vaccines, makes for a very confusing set of messages that patients are getting and frankly that we're getting," said Dr. Baldeep Singh, a Stanford Professor of Internal Medicine.
Kaiser released a statement saying they're reaching out to those 65 and up about appointments, though there may be "frustration" due to limited supplies.
And frustration is the key for many older patients, trying to figure it all out.
"My 83-year-old patient called me in tears. She tried to make an appointment with one of the pharmacies and was unable to navigate the system," said Dr. Rebecca Parish of Comprehensive Wellness.
And so Parish is taking matters into her own hands. She worked with the city of Lafayette and local non profits to set up a drive-through vaccination clinic this weekend. She says she's trying help seniors who might otherwise fall through the cracks.
"If I was going to put in the blood sweat and tears and promise my first born to get certified, we're going to give it to as many people as we can. And I just think communities coming together can be very powerful. And the little guy can get things done," said Parish.
She expects to have 100 medical volunteers on hand to give out the Pfizer vaccine.
The drive through clinic will be at Stanley Middle School in Lafayette on Saturday and Sunday, until they run out of doses. Nonprofits Lamorinda Village and Lamorinda Spirit Van are pre-registering people 75 and up.