The county has so far received 114,000 doses of vaccine, while an estimated more than 700,000 currently meet the requirements to obtain a vaccine under the state plan, including some 343,000 people age 65 and older, according to the county executive office. .
“It’s not a volunteer issue. It’s not a place issue. It’s a vaccine issue,” said supervisor Karen Spiegel. “We’ve had plans for mass distribution for a long time. Plans and sites aren’t the problem. We don’t have enough vaccine available to meet demand.”
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Executive Office spokeswoman Brooke Federico said the county usually receives weekly shipments of doses and that they are distributed to providers or administered at a public health vaccine clinic within two to three days.
He said nearly 80 percent of those doses received so far have gone to state-approved providers, including hospitals, doctors, clinics and pharmacies, to vaccinate currently eligible workers and residents, but the supply remains “extremely limited “.
Meanwhile, residents eager to receive shots have surrounded phone lines and the county’s programming website. The county opened approximately 11,000 time slots for appointments Friday at four clinics next week in Corona, Menifee, Beaumont and Indio. They all filled up in a matter of hours.
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Clinic appointments to receive the vaccine are currently reserved until Friday, according to Federico.
“There are more than 175 state-approved vaccine providers in Riverside County. Residents should ask their doctor, emergency care or pharmacy if they are approved providers and when they expect to have the vaccine,” he said.
A complete list of vendors in Riverside County can be found here.
City News Service contributed to this report.
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