Effective March 15, the State of California opens eligibility for the COVID-19 vaccine to people between the ages of 16 and 64 who have a serious underlying health condition or are at risk due to a disability. serious or developmental.
Dr. Mark Ghaly, secretary of the California Agency for Human Services and Health, said this would add about 4-6 million people to the approximately 13 million Californians who could already receive the vaccine.
This will include people with the following conditions:
- Cancer, current with weakened or immunocompromised state
- Chronic kidney disease, stage 4 or higher
- Chronic, oxygen-dependent lung disease
- Immunocompromised state (weakened immune system) by transplantation of solid organs
- Heart conditions such as heart failure, coronary artery disease or cardiomyopathies (excludes hypertension)
- Severe obesity (body mass index ≥ 40 kg / m2)
- Type 2 diabetes mellitus with a hemoglobin A1c level greater than 7.5%
In California, health workers, long-term care residents, people age 65 and older and those working in the education and care sectors are eligible for the vaccine. , emergency services and food and agriculture.
However, in San Luis Obispo County, only health care workers and people age 65 and older can register for COVID-19 vaccine appointments right now, and in Santa Barbara County, appointments are limited to health care workers and individuals. aged 75 or over. County public health officials have attributed the lack of vaccine supply to limited appointments.
Santa Barbara County plans to extend vaccination appointments to people between the ages of 65 and 74 starting Tuesday, Feb. 16.
Van Do-Reynoso, the county’s director of public health, said Friday that Santa Barbara County will also open appointments for vaccines for the disabled and those with underlying conditions on March 16 when they become eligible for the state. He said those in the sectors of education and childcare, emergency services and food and agriculture will be next, but gave no specific date.