California vaccine eligibility expands on March 15, but MyTurn will not allow you to sign up

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) – As of Monday, March 15, eligibility for the vaccine is expanding massively in California and includes an additional 4.4 million people. This is because this next phase of COVID-19 vaccine distribution allows people with serious health conditions to receive a vaccine.

This applies to you if you are 16 to 64 years old with any of the following conditions:

• Cancer
• Chronic kidney disease, stage 4 or higher
• Chronic lung disease
• Down syndrome
• Immunocompromised state by organ transplant
• Pregnancy
• Sickle cell disease
• Heart conditions (heart failure, coronary artery disease or cardiomyopathies; excludes hypertension)
• Severe obesity
• Type 2 diabetes mellitus
• Other developmental or high-risk disabilities that put an individual at particularly high risk

This last bullet point makes things a little fuzzy. Essentially, anyone whose health is considered “at risk” by a health care provider could qualify.

Some consider it a loophole, but San Francisco health director Dr. Grant Colfax said it was intentional.

“If your healthcare provider says you are eligible for a vaccine, we will mostly comply with that order,” Colfax said. “The point is we want access to vaccines with a low barrier. We don’t want to create too much bureaucracy, or too many forms.”

But the bureaucracy is already intervening. As of Friday afternoon, people with high-risk conditions had not yet been able to make appointments for Monday or any day after on the MyTurn website. “It will soon be your turn, but you are not eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine at this time,” the site said.

We asked the California Department of Public Health when these appointments would be available online. A spokesman responded, “This availability will be available on the 15th,” but did not offer a specific date or time.

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Appointments can be difficult to get until the supply of vaccines begins to increase.

“We don’t expect a dramatic increase in the next two weeks,” said Mike Wasserman, who is on the California vaccine advisory committee. “But I’m optimistic about how we feel about the Biden administration. I’m definitely hoping to see an increase in April.”

President Joe Biden announced Thursday that he would lead states so that everyone, regardless of age, occupation or level of risk, is eligible for the May 1 vaccine.