Restrictions dropped: Stanislaus COVID vaccine clinics to open to almost all residents
Stanislaus County officials announced Tuesday the county’s public clinics will start giving coronavirus vaccinations to county residents age 16 and over starting Thursday.
A state order will make Californians in the 16 to 64 age group eligible for COVID-19 vaccine on April 15. But Gov. Gavin Newsom has given health providers the discretion to vaccinate anyone living in underserved communities, regardless of their age or vocation.
The governor’s directive applies to people residing in zip code areas within the two lowest “quartiles” of what’s called the Healthy Places Index.
Officials noted that 23 of the 24 zip codes in Stanislaus County fall within the two lowest quartiles based on income, education and community health factors. For that reason, the county’s vaccine clinics will be open starting Thursday to any county residents 16 and over.
The state’s online My Turn appointment system might not schedule younger adults but they are welcome to walk up to the county clinics. Teens who are 16 and 17 years old should be accompanied by a parent and can only receive Pfizer vaccine.
While the age limit is being dropped, the county doesn’t expect to immediately have enough vaccine for everyone to get a shot.
Stanislaus County vaccine clinics are encouraging appointments on the My Turn system this week. Californians age 50 and older become eligible for the coronavirus shots statewide starting Thursday.
The county has a vaccine clinic set for Modesto Centre Plaza from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday as the age restrictions are dropped. That clinic will provide first doses of Pfizer vaccine and second doses of Pfizer.
The county has clinics scheduled Monday through Saturday on a weekly basis in Modesto, Turlock, Oakdale and Patterson.
More information about coronavirus vaccine and the county vaccine clinics is available at www.schsa.org.
This story was originally published March 30, 2021 at 11:05 AM.
