Santa Clara County officials are urging all county health workers to get vaccinated against COVID-19 now that they are eligible.
The news comes after the state public health department expanded eligibility Thursday to include all health workers of any level in phase 1A vaccine distribution.
This means those in the second and third levels of Phase 1A, including those in intermediate care centers, community health workers (including promoters), public health field staff, clinic workers. of primary care, workers from specialized clinics, laboratories, dental clinics, and pharmacy staff, can be vaccinated.
Initially, only hospital staff and acute dialysis centers, lifeguards, and long-term care center staff and residents were eligible for the vaccine.
“We are very pleased to see that the early release of the vaccine has offered protection to so many of our most essential and most at-risk workers,” said county supervisor Otto Lee. “Now the pool has gotten bigger, and the county and other health care partners are expanding to meet that increased demand.”
There are about 140,000 health workers in Santa Clara County and 47,000 have already received the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, a figure that Dr. Sara Cody, the county’s chief health officer and director of public health, said progress “.
“Although we are in the midst of an extremely difficult wave of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, and the first vaccine shipments arrived during the holidays,” Cody said. “Countywide health systems have made great strides in vaccinating staff in the early stages of Phase 1A.”
To date, countywide health systems have received 110,280 first doses and 17,320 of the second doses of COVID-19 vaccine. Kaiser Permanent and Sutter Health have also received an additional vaccine directly from them.
Most health care workers can get the vaccine through their employer, but those who can’t can get the vaccine through the county.
Residents of long-term care facilities receive vaccines through the federal government’s long-term care program, Pharmacy Partnership for Long-Term Care Program.
As more vaccines arrive in the county, more appointments will be available and shipments will arrive each week.
The county health system alone is expected to reach 4,000 vaccines a day by the end of next week, and capacity will increase in the coming weeks.
“We are opening several clinic-based sites in the county and plan to open additional mass vaccination facilities in the near future,” said Dr. Jennifer Tong, chief physician associate of hospitals and clinics at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center.
As soon as the vaccine is offered to people in phase 1A, the state will allow vaccination to begin in phase 1B, which includes people over the age of 75 and other “essential front-line workers” working in education. child care, emergency services and food. and agriculture.
The second level of phase 1B will include adults aged 65 to 74, people imprisoned and homeless, and those working in the transport sector, critical manufacturing and other sectors at risk of exposure through their work. .
However, health officials are urging the public to follow the health orders and safety protocols for COVID-19.
“Our progress so far in vaccinating our healthcare staff gives us a lot of hope, but we need to be vigilant until most of our community has been vaccinated. We all need to work together to overcome it, but we will get there.” , said Dr. Marty Fenstersheib, a Santa Clara County COVID-19 testing and vaccination officer, said.
For more information on vaccines or to book an appointment across the county, click here.