San Francisco will allow people with HIV to be vaccinated, along with those who identify as deaf or disabled, starting Monday, when California opens the number of residents eligible for the coronavirus vaccine to people with certain serious, high-risk medical conditions or disabilities. .
An estimated 4.4 million Californians meet the state criteria, including more essential workers, those who work or live in prisons, homeless shelters, and other municipal places, and those with disabilities and health problems that put them at risk for severe COVID-19.
San Francisco goes beyond the state’s admission rules by covering developmental, medical, physical, sensory or behavioral health disorders, including serious mental illness or substance use disorders, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Sunday.
“Getting vaccinations for people with disabilities and serious underlying conditions, and people in a compound environment, is an important part of our efforts to save lives and protect our most vulnerable residents,” Mayor London Breed said in a statement. statement.
She warned that despite several new groups becoming eligible for vaccines, the supply remains low. So far, about 27% of San Francisco residents have received at least one dose of vaccine.
Eligible people will not be required to provide documentation, but will be asked to sign a self-declaration that they meet the criteria, the state’s public health department said.
As of Sunday, health care providers have reported administering nearly 11.8 million vaccine doses statewide, the department said.
The surge in vaccinations is part of a broader improvement across California, which will be out of the most restrictive color-coded level by Wednesday, more than 90% of the state population of nearly 40 million residents.