COVID Vaccines: All adults in California are eligible

Fourteen months after San Jose resident Patricia Dowd became the first person in the United States to die from COVID-19, the historic pandemic has killed more than 560,576 Americans – more deaths than the United States in World War I and World War II. world and in Korea the combined war.

But on Thursday, California will reach a hopeful stage. For the first time, every adult in the state will be eligible to receive a vaccine, the best pandemic defense. With the launch of vaccines, the number of cases, hospitalizations and deaths in California has steadily declined, but has recently increased in other states, such as Michigan.

“We are still in the middle of a pandemic, and vaccines are the key to ending it sooner,” said Darrel Ng, a spokesman for the state Department of Public Health. “We continue to encourage people to get the first vaccine available.”

So what exactly changes on Thursday?

According to state rules, every Californian 16 years of age and older will be eligible for vaccination – although some counties in the Bay Area, such as Alameda, Santa Clara, San Francisco and Contra Costa, have already made the change in recent days.

Until recently, statewide vaccination schedules were reserved for people over the age of 50, health workers, teachers, people with disabilities and other groups at higher risk.

How do I get a vaccine?

Every Californian can register at myturn.ca.gov or call (833) 422-4255.

You can also contact your healthcare provider to make an appointment when the slots become available. Many pharmacies, including Rite Aid, CVS and Walgreens, also offer appointments.

You can make an appointment through many health websites of the county. Or you can go to VaccineFinder.org, run by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Boston Children’s Hospital, and Harvard Medical School, to locate available vaccines near you.

Another useful website is Vaccinespotter.org, which scans appointments available every 1 minute at California pharmacy chains. Users enter their postal code and the distance they are willing to travel.

Will there be enough vaccines for everyone?

At first, no. California has about 32 million adults. About half have received at least one dose of vaccine so far. And every week California receives about 2.5 to 3 million new doses of vaccine from the federal government.

There will almost certainly be a big wave of interest in the first few weeks. Be patient, say health experts.

Each week, several doses are produced and several appointments are available.

“By the end of May, the vast majority of adult Americans will have received at least the first blow,” President Biden said last Tuesday.

What about children under 16?

No vaccine has been approved for people under the age of 16. This means that about 8 million children, or about 20% of California’s population, are not eligible.

Clinical trials are underway, and White House Chief Medical Officer Dr. Anthony Fauci said last month that the U.S. could begin vaccinating older children against COVID-19 as early as this fall, with younger children eligible early. next year.

How much protection will vaccines give me?

Getting a single photo from the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine reduces your risk of getting COVID-19 by 80% starting two weeks after you were vaccinated, according to the CDC.

After two doses, Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are over 90% effective, and the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which requires a single dose, has been shown to be 72% effective in the United States, although 100% effective in preventing death.

On Tuesday, California temporarily stopped distributing Johnson & Johnson vaccine due to a rare side effect that caused blood clots in 6 of the 6.8 million who were vaccinated, including one death.

But state and federal officials said the change will not significantly limit the supply of vaccines or delay the easing of pandemic restrictions. Johnson & Johnson vaccines account for only 3.7% of doses administered nationally, according to the CDC, and 7.2% of doses administered by the federal government in California.

Didn’t I hear other rules change on April 15th?

Yes. As part of California’s color level system, indoor meetings, receptions, conferences and live events will be able to open wider starting Thursday. The rules are very detailed and vary depending on the level of each county, allowing larger crowds if people present proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test within 72 hours. Governor Gavin Newsom said the state would eliminate the tier system and reopen widely on June 15. On Wednesday, the last of California’s 58 counties came out of the most restrictive purple level when Merced County joined 22 other counties with a substantial spread of the red virus. Most of the bay area is in the less restrictive orange level, with moderate spread.

How is California doing in terms of vaccines?

The state is making steady progress.

As of Wednesday, 51% of California’s adult population over the age of 18 or 15.6 million people had received at least one dose of vaccine, and 84% of Californians over the age of 65 – the most vulnerable group to death in California. COVID-19 case – received at least one photograph, according to CDC data.

Meanwhile, about 28% of all adults in California are fully vaccinated, and 60% of those aged 65 and over fall into this category.

How is California compared to other states?

Good enough. On Wednesday, California ranked 12th nationally in the 50 states after the percentage of adults over 18 with at least one dose, according to the CDC. The top state, New Hampshire, vaccinated 66% of adults. The states with the lowest rates are Mississippi (37%), Alabama (37%), Louisiana (39%) and Tennessee (39%).

How’s the US doing?