Fourteen months after San Jose resident Patricia Dowd became the first person in the United States to die from COVID-19, the historic pandemic killed more than 560,576 Americans, more fatalities than those in the United States in the United States. World War I, World War II and Korea Combined War.
But on Thursday, California will reach a hopeful milestone. For the first time, all adults in the state will be able to receive a vaccine, the best defense against the pandemic. As vaccines have spread, the number of cases, hospitalizations, and deaths in California has steadily fallen, but has increased recently in some other states like Michigan.
“We are still in the middle of a pandemic and vaccines are the key to ending them faster,” said Darrel Ng, a spokesman for the state Department of Public Health. “We continue to encourage people to get the first vaccine available.”
So what exactly changes Thursday?
Under state regulations, all Californians 16 years of age or older will be eligible for vaccination, although some counties in the Bay Area, such as Alameda, Santa Clara, San Francisco and Contra Costa, have already made the change. last days.
Until recently, vaccine appointments statewide were reserved for people 50 years of age or older, health workers, teachers, people with disabilities, and other higher-risk groups.
How can I get a vaccine?
All Californians can register at myturn.ca.gov or call (833) 422-4255.
You can also contact your healthcare provider to make an appointment when places are available. Many pharmacies, including Rite Aid, CVS, and Walgreens, also offer appointments.
You can make an appointment through many county health websites. Or you can go to VaccineFinder.org, run by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Boston Children’s Hospital, and Harvard Medical School, to locate available vaccines near you.
Another useful website is Vaccinespotter.org, which analyzes appointments available every 1 minute at California pharmacy chains. Users enter their zip code and the distance they want to drive.
Will there be enough vaccines for everyone?
At first, no. California has about 32 million adults. So far, about half have received at least one dose of vaccine. And every week California receives between 2.5 and 3 million new doses of the federal government vaccine.
There will almost certainly be a big increase in interest during the first few weeks. Be patient, health experts say.
More doses are made each week and more appointments are available.
“By the end of May, the vast majority of adult Americans will have gotten at least their first shot,” President Biden said last Tuesday.
What about children under 16?
No vaccine has yet been approved for people under 16 years of age. This means that about 8 million children, or about 20% of the California population, are not eligible.
Clinical trials are underway and White House chief medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci said last month that the United States could begin vaccinating older children against COVID-19 as early as this fall, with eligible younger children early next year.
What protection will vaccines give me?
Getting a vaccine from the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine reduces the risk of getting COVID-19 by 80% from two weeks after the vaccine, according to the CDC.
After two doses, Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are more than 90% effective and the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which requires only one dose, has been shown to be 72% effective in the US, although it is 100% effective in preventing death.
On Tuesday, California temporarily halted the distribution of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine due to a rare side effect that caused blood clots in 6 people among the 6.8 million vaccinated, including one death.
But state and federal officials said the change would not significantly limit the supply of vaccines or delay the loosening of pandemic restrictions. Johnson & Johnson vaccines account for only 3.7% of the doses administered nationwide, according to the CDC, and 7.2% of the doses the federal government has administered in California.
Haven’t I heard other rules change on April 15th?
Yes. Under California’s color level system, indoor meetings, receptions, conferences and live events will be able to open more widely starting Thursday. The rules are very detailed and vary depending on the level at which each county is located, allowing for a larger crowd if people show vaccination tests or a negative COVID test within 72 hours. Gov. Gavin Newsom has said the state will eliminate the tier system and reopen widely on June 15. On Wednesday, the last of California’s 58 counties came out of the most restrictive purple level when Merced County joined 22 counties with a significant spread of the virus at the red level. Most of the bay area is at the less restrictive orange level with moderate spread.
How is California doing about vaccines?
The state is constantly advancing.
As of Wednesday, 51% of the adult population 18 years of age or older in California, or 15.6 million people, have received at least one dose of vaccine and 84% of Californians age 65 or older, the group most vulnerable to death by COVID-19. – have received at least one shot, according to CDC data.
Meanwhile, about 28% of adults in California are fully vaccinated and 60% of those over 65 fall into this category.
How is California doing compared to other states?
Really good. On Wednesday, California ranked 12th nationally out of 50 states for the percentage of adults over the age of 18 with at least one dose, according to the CDC. The first state, New Hampshire, has vaccinated 66% of adults. The states with the lowest rates are Mississippi (37%), Alabama (37%), Louisiana (39%) and Tennessee (39%).
How is the US doing?
The rate of vaccines has increased considerably in recent months and the United States has vaccinated nearly half of its population. It is a higher percentage than almost any other major nation except Israel and the United Kingdom.
The United States currently administers about 3.3 million daily doses of vaccine a day, three times the rate of January. This means that every five days, approximately 5% of the American population is vaccinated.
As of Wednesday, 47.6% of Americans over the age of 18, or 124 million people, have received at least one dose and 29.6% or 77 million people were completely vaccinated.