The change happened almost overnight.
The ballroom at Meritage Resort and Spa, Napa County’s largest mass vaccination clinic, changed from seeing a flood of residents screaming for coronavirus vaccinations to just a trickle in the days following California’s expansion of vaccination options for anyone aged 16 and over.
Friday, the first day the clinic opened to the public following the statewide expansion, virtually all 1,400 appointments were canceled. But on Tuesday, only two-thirds of the available appointments – about 2,300 out of 3,400 – were booked that day. The schedule for the rest of the week suggests a sharp drop in interest.
Less than 1,500 people had booked appointments for Wednesday, late afternoon on Tuesday, from the nearly 3,700 slots available. For Thursday and Friday, only 82 people and 46 people had signed up, respectively, although more than 3,200 slots are available every day.
Interest is dwindling so rapidly that the site, which previously urged everyone to make appointments, is now open for walk-ins every day, 9am to 12pm and 1pm to 4pm. Unused doses are in freezers.
“We absolutely have the capacity, the will, the volunteers and the dedication of everyone doing this work in Napa County,” said Janet Upton County spokeswoman. “But what we are now lacking is seemingly common good.”
While the apparent plateau of single-site uptake is just one glimpse of the regional rollout of vaccinations, it contrasts sharply with recent months, when lack of vaccination seemed to be the main problem in delaying vaccinations.
Young adults between the ages of 20 and 30 seem to be particularly uninterested, or at least not particularly eager to get vaccinated, Upton said, citing the observations of health official Dr. Karen Relucio at local vaccination clinics.
As a result, the county health officials and their partners for the mass vaccination site – Kaiser Permanente, Queen of the Valley Medical Center and Ole Health – are now shifting their outreach posts to try to get more people on board.
“We are changing our message from ‘Scarcity, wait your turn’, to achieving hesitant vaccines,” said Upton. “We are focusing our efforts on getting those who may hesitate, who may need to hear a call to action from someone other than a government agency.”
According to county data, about 57% of county residents aged 16 or older have received at least one dose of vaccine and 40% have been fully vaccinated. Public health experts estimate that the percentage of people vaccinated must be 70% or higher to achieve herd immunity.
Health officials work with faith leaders, community groups, teachers, coaches, and others to reach out to remaining unvaccinated residents.
“We’re making good progress, but now the call to action to our communities is, ‘We need your help to make it to the finish line,’” said Upton. “It will really be that point in time where faith-based organizations, food banks, other mechanisms, trusted friends and family members will have to be the ones who will carry the message, until we get that 75% or 80% community immunity that we strive for . “
Catherine Ho is a staff writer for the San Francisco Chronicle. Email: [email protected] Twitter: @Cat_Ho