San Francisco will allow people with HIV to be vaccinated, along with people who identify as deaf or disabled, beginning Monday, when California will open the number of residents eligible for the coronavirus vaccine to people with certain medical conditions or significant high-risk disabilities.
An estimated 4.4 million Californians meet state criteria, which include more essential workers, people working or living in prisons, homeless shelters and other congregated places, and those with disabilities and health conditions than put at risk of severe COVID-19.
San Francisco goes beyond state eligibility rules to cover developmental, medical, physical, sensory, or behavioral disabilities, including serious mental health or substance use disorders, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Sunday.
“Getting vaccines against people with disabilities and severe underlying conditions and people in congregated settings is an important part of our efforts to save lives and protect our most vulnerable residents,” Mayor London Breed said in a statement .
He warned that despite opening up vaccine eligibility for several new groups, supply remains low. To date, approximately 27% of San Francisco residents have received at least one dose of vaccine.
Eligible people will not have to provide documentation, but will be asked to sign a self-certification that meets the criteria, the state public health department said.
Since Sunday, health care providers have reported administering about 11.8 million doses of vaccine statewide, the department said.
The increase in vaccinations is part of a broader improvement across California, which will have more than 90% of the state’s population of about 40 million residents outside of the more restrictive color code level by Wednesday.