The state shifts its vaccine eligibility once again to cover people with conditions ranging from cancer to severe disabilities despite ongoing vaccine supply struggles.
Christie Aiello, left and Denise Gomez prepare the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for medical workers at St. Joseph Hospital in Orange, Calif., Jan. 7, 2021. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (CN) California will expand vaccine eligibility to an estimated 6 million residents under the age of 65 with severe disabilities and underlying conditions beginning next month, state officials announced Friday.
Under the latest criteria from the California Department of Public Health, providers will be encouraged next month to “use their clinical judgment” while consulting a checklist of disabilities and serious health conditions. After more than two months of focusing on health care workers and seniors, the state wants to offer vaccines to another large swath of residents severely at risk of dying from Cov
California’s not-so-smooth vaccine rollout
Logistical hurdles and debates about fairness have bogged down the state’s vaccination campaign, leading to widespread frustration
Post Date: February 01, 2021 California Gov. Gavin Newsom (right) greets a healthcare worker at the launch of a COVID-19 vaccination site at Dodger Stadium on Jan. 15 in Los Angeles.
In late January, 38-year-old Bao Vo had a daily routine: Every day, the downtown Los Angeles resident logged onto Orange County Health Care’s scheduling website for COVID-19 vaccinations to check if there was a spot available for his 71-year-old mother. He checked the website when he got up in the morning, again at lunchtime, and twice more after work and before bed.
California, one of the hardest-hit states in the US by the raging Covid-19 pandemic, has lifted all regional stay-at-home orders, public health officials announced.Although three of California s five designated regions, including the 12-county .
The state will now return to a system of county-by-county restrictions, with most counties operating from the most restrictive tier, and will allow businesses like outdoor dining and nail salons to open, as well as outdoor religious gatherings.