Santa Clara County residents age 65 and older are now eligible to get vaccinated, county officials announced Tuesday.
Residents in that age bracket can now schedule appointments through the county website for openings starting on Wednesdays and beyond.
The extended eligibility follows current state guidelines for vaccine allocation.
“Older residents and those living in specialized nursing homes are still the population most at risk of serious illness and death from COVID-19,” says Dr. Monika Roy, district health assistant.
As of Monday, more than 160,300 individuals have been vaccinated in Santa Clara County by the county, private health care providers and other vaccine providers.
The county’s health system is the largest provider of the COVID-19 vaccine, provincial officials said. So far, it has administered nearly 60,000 first doses and has a weekly capacity to deliver 30,000 vaccine appointments per week.
Residents can make arrangements at mass vaccination sites at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds, Berger Drive in San Jose, and the Mountain View Community Center.
The county also vaccinates eligible individuals at several Valley Health Center locations, including up to 600 people a day in Gilroy, according to the county’s Public Health Department.
“As the vaccine becomes available to more of our residents, the district remains committed to equality and ensuring access for our communities most at risk of contracting COVID-19,” said Dr. Jennifer Tong, associate chief medical officer for the Santa Clara District Health System.
The county is also partnering with community clinics and launched a mobile trial vaccination clinic to ensure access to vaccines for residents and staff of long-term care facilities.
“We are coordinating efforts with local fire and medical responders and sending vaccinators into the field to ensure that those most at risk can be vaccinated as soon as possible,” said Roy.
County officials say the ability to expand vaccine eligibility depends on vaccine delivery.
This week, the county received 20,125 additional first doses of vaccine, which is “far fewer doses than the county health systems can provide,” the county public health department said.
Residents can learn more about vaccine allocation and administration by health care providers on the county’s COVID-19 vaccine dashboard.
People can visit sccfreevax.org to see the latest updates on vaccine suitability or schedule a vaccination appointment.