Two additional variants of coronavirus have been discovered in the Bay Area, pushing California’s commitment to faster and more efficient distribution of vaccines across the state.
The variants, which originated in Brazil and the United Kingdom and have spread to numerous countries, were identified in the Bay Area by scientists at Stanford University’s Clinical Virology Lab, spokeswoman Lisa Kim confirmed Sunday. She did not provide information on the location of the infections, but said they had been reported to public health authorities on Thursday from samples collected “ less than two weeks before the report. ”
The spread of the coronavirus mutations comes as California transfers vaccine distribution to Oakland-based health insurer Blue Shield, with help from Kaiser Permanente, in an effort to speed up one of the slowest vaccinations in the country.
However, plans for faster and more effective vaccine distribution could be thwarted if Kaiser Permanente, the Oakland-based hospital and health insurance chain that counts nearly a quarter of Californians among its customers, can’t get much more vaccine than it could. purchase.
Kaiser officials say they are hopeful their offerings will grow now that the state has turned to Blue Shield and Kaiser to take over in a transition expected in the coming weeks.
“We need more vaccines in the coming weeks as we expand vaccine prioritization from health professionals to people over 75 and other eligible populations,” a Kaiser spokesman said Sunday, a day after CEO Greg Adams told members that Kaiser has “only received a fraction of the vaccine needed to vaccinate” his health professionals and members.
“The work that we, Blue Shield, and the state are starting is all about getting Californians vaccinated as soon as supplies allow,” the spokesman said in an email Sunday. He predicted progress and said success will ultimately depend on “increasing the amount of vaccine received in California.”
When asked whether the shortage of supply will hamper Kaiser’s ability to aid in statewide distribution, Darrel Ng of the state’s COVID-19 vaccine task force said on Sunday, “The biggest factor in an entity’s ability to deliver more vaccine is the total supply of vaccines. California is limited by the federal government’s offer. “
Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease specialist at UCSF, said the shortage could also be concerning as Kaiser and Blue Shield have responsibilities to their own patients.
“If you have an organization that is not the government, or not the Ministry of Health, which is responsible for distribution, you will have prejudices whether you know it or not,” said Chin-Hong.
State officials have hailed Blue Shield and Kaiser as veteran California nonprofits that can help the state face the near-unprecedented health crisis and vaccinate the population to resume economic normalcy and reopen schools.
Data released by the state over the weekend shows that providers have accelerated the vaccine doses they receive from the state. More than 3.4 million shots have been taken, the data shows. That represents about 72% of the more than 4.7 million doses the state has distributed to counties and providers. State officials warn that the numbers may not reflect the exact picture due to the delay in reporting time.
Tatiana Sanchez is a staff writer for the San Francisco Chronicle. Email: [email protected] Twitter: @RTLnews