Hundreds line up at Stanislaus site after seniors get priority for COVID-19 vaccine
Hundreds of people lined up outside the former Scenic General Hospital on Thursday morning, after those 65 and older were given priority in accessing the COVID-19 vaccine.
Stanislaus County Sheriff Jeff Dirkse said at midmorning there were probably 1,000 people in line for the vaccination clinic; the site has capacity to give only 700 shots per day.
Officials are working to open new sites in other areas of the county to administer the coronavirus vaccines.
At 9:22 a.m., the county posted an item on its Stanemergency Facebook page saying the “Vaccine site is almost full.” The county thanked people for showing up and invited them to come back Friday or “check with their healthcare provider on how to receive your vaccine.”
The Scenic clinic is for health care workers in the Phase 1A priority group and county residents age 65 and older. Eligibility for the vaccine was expanded on Wednesday, when the state changed its guidelines to give seniors age 65 and older a priority for COVID-19 vaccinations.
Except for those in the highest priority groups, the availability of shots to protect residents against COVID-19 remains scarce in Stanislaus County.
Kamlesh Kaur, spokesperson for the county Health Services Agency, said Wednesday the county is working on a plan for vaccinating residents in Phase 1B, which also includes people working in education, childcare, food, agriculture and other essential industries.
“We will announce our Phase 1B rollout soon,” Kaur said.
The county Health Services Agency issued a news release Wednesday evening asking health care providers that are able to store and administer coronavirus vaccines to sign up and provide vaccines to protect their patients. It also asked pharmacies, including those in grocery stores, to sign up to administer vaccines.
“We need all providers to help protect our community, decrease hospitalizations and deaths, and end this pandemic,” said Dr. Julie Vaishampayan, county health officer. “It will take all of us working together to ensure our vulnerable population, the seniors, are vaccinated and protected.”
County needs more vaccine from the state
Getting the vaccine to seniors also will depend on the state supplying larger amounts of vaccine to Stanislaus County.
Local health officials continued to work on vaccinating health care workers, first responders, in-home care workers and other people in “Phase 1A” of the state’s priority system. As of Tuesday, the county had about 7,300 doses remaining from a supply of 25,225 doses.
The county clinic at 830 Scenic Drive in Modesto runs 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Healthcare workers are first asked to seek a vaccination from their employer. If it’s not available, they can use the county clinic.
The vaccine is first come first served; there are no appointments and those seeking vaccines should expect a wait time.
County public health plans to focus on vaccinations for residents with less access to regular health care. It is completing arrangements for a second vaccination site at Stanislaus State University in Turlock. Two other vaccine clinics are planned in Patterson and Oakdale to serve residents in the western and eastern parts of Stanislaus County.
Along with the four vaccination hubs, the county is requesting vaccine to open additional sites offering people closer access to the two-dose Pfizer or Moderna vaccine.
Right now, however, it’s not easy to find a COVID-19 shot unless you are in the highest priority group.
Lee Ockey, a Modesto senior, said she asked her doctor’s office when she can get the first shot of the two-dose vaccination but received no answers this week.
“I would love to get vaccinated but no one seems to know anything,” she said. An email from her health care provider said it would be available for older seniors soon.
The county is not the only source of coronavirus vaccine.
Both Kaiser and Sutter receive vaccine allotments directly from the state. Some of the county’s allocation from the state is also given to health care providers.
Sutter Health has talked about starting vaccinations for seniors. Those patients should check their email for information from Sutter on vaccine availability.
Kaiser Permanente had no information Wednesday when contacted by The Modesto Bee.
The federal Centers for Disease Control made changes to its vaccine plan Tuesday, increasing the supply of COVID vaccine shipped to the states. The federal government encouraged states like California to expand eligibility for the vaccine to seniors 65 and older.
Governor Gavin Newsom set a goal of getting 1 million additional vaccine doses to California residents by the end of the week. The adjusted guidelines mean roughly 6.6 million Californians are now eligible for the vaccine.
“There is no higher priority than efficiently and equitably distributing these vaccines as quickly as possible to those who face the gravest consequences,” Newsom said. “Individuals 65 and older are now the next group eligible to start receiving vaccines. To those not yet eligible for vaccines, your turn is coming. We are doing everything we can to bring more vaccine into the state.”
County health officials say it doesn’t solve problem
The governor’s announcement immediately prompted protests from some county health officials around the state who say the proposal to speed up vaccinations for people 65 and older does not solve the primary problem local officials say they face — a lack of vaccine doses. They also complained that their staffs are already overworked.
“Vaccinating individuals against COVID-19 is our highest priority, but we have to balance it with our other priorities including testing, case investigation and contact tracing,” said Kat DeBurgh, executive director of the Health Officers Association of California.
“Today’s announcement does not address these problems. Expanding the list of who is eligible for the vaccine does not get us more doses. It does not get us more vaccinators, or any of the other resources we need to effectively run our operations.”
DeBurgh called on “increased resources from the state including funding and personnel. We also need our vaccine allocation to be reliable and predictable.”
Communities in California are at different stages in vaccinating people, and when seniors are able to get vaccines will depend on where they live, according to the California Department of Public Health. The department is encouraging seniors to call their doctor’s office to see if they can set up an appointment.
The Sacramento Bee contributed to this report.
This story was originally published January 13, 2021 at 8:29 PM.
