Santa Clara County officials are urging all health workers in the county to get vaccinated against COVID-19 now that they are eligible.
The news comes after the state’s public health department extended approval on Thursday to all health workers below a stage 1A level of vaccine distribution.
This means those who are in the second and third tiers of Phase 1A, including those in intermediate care settings, community health workers (including promoters), public health field personnel, primary care clinic workers, workers in specialty clinics, laboratories, dental clinics, and pharmacy personnel can get vaccinated.
Initially, only personnel in acute care hospitals and dialysis centers, medical first responders, and staff and residents of long-term care facilities were eligible for the vaccine.
“We are very pleased to see that the early rollout of the vaccine has provided protection for so many of our most critical and most at risk workers,” said Otto Lee, County Supervisor. “Now the pool has just gotten bigger, and the County and other health system partners are working to meet this increased demand.”
There are about 140,000 health workers in Santa Clara County, and 47,000 of them have already received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine – a figure according to Dr. Sara Cody, the county health officer and director of public health, represents “great progress.”
“Despite the fact that we are in the midst of an extremely difficult wave of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, and the first shipments of vaccine arrived during the holidays,” said Cody. “Healthcare systems across the country have made great strides in vaccinating personnel in the early tiers of Phase 1A.”
To date, health care systems across the country have received 110,280 first doses and 17,320 second doses of COVID-19 vaccine. Kaiser Permanente and Sutter Health have also received an additional vaccine that is supplied directly to them.
Most health workers are eligible for the vaccine through their employer, but those who are not can get vaccinated through the county.
Residents of long-term care facilities receive vaccines through the federal government’s Pharmacy Partnership for Long-term Care Program.
As more vaccines come to the province, more agreements will be made and shipments will arrive weekly.
The province’s health care system alone is expected to reach 4,000 vaccinations per day by the end of next week, and capacity will increase in the coming weeks.
“We are opening several clinics in the province and expect to open more massive vaccination facilities in the near future,” said Dr. Jennifer Tong, associate chief medical officer of the Santa Clara Valley Medical Center hospitals and clinics.
Once people in Stage 1A have received the vaccine, the state will allow vaccination to begin in Stage 1B, including those over 75 and other “essential frontline workers” working in education, childcare, emergency services, and food. and agriculture.
Stage 1B second tier includes adults aged 65 to 74, detained and unhoused people, and those working in transportation, critical manufacturing, and other sectors at risk of exposure from their work.
Still, health officials are pleading with the public to continue to follow health regulations and safety protocols for COVID-19.
“Our progress so far in vaccinating our health care workers gives us great hope, but we need to remain vigilant until most of our community is vaccinated. We all need to work together to get through this, but we’ll get there,” says Dr. Marty Fenstersheib, COVID-19 testing and vaccine officer for the County of Santa Clara, said.
Click here for more information about vaccines or to make an appointment through the province.