Placer County 'pulling the trigger' on next vaccine eligibility phase People 16+ can now sign up for COVID vaccine appointments in Placer County — ahead of state expansion Share Updated: 8:29 AM PDT Apr 12, 2021 People 16+ can now sign up for COVID vaccine appointments in Placer County — ahead of state expansion Share Updated: 8:29 AM PDT Apr 12, 2021 Hide Transcript Show Transcript FIRST. THIS IS KCRA 3 NEWS AT 11:00. BRANDI: IT IS JUST A FEW DAYS UNTIL TEENS 16 AND OLDER AND EVERY ADULT IN CALIFORNIA WILL BE ABLE TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT TO GET THE COVID-19 VACCINE. WALTER: ELIGIBILITY IS OPENING UP ON THURSDAY TO ANYONE 16 YEARS OF AGE AND OLDER AS MILLIONS OF MORE CALIFORNIANS CAN GET THE VACCINE, AND WITH LIMITED SUPPLY. COUNTIES ARE URGING PEOPLE TO BE PATIENT. US IS THAT IS GOING TO REALLY HELP ELIMINATE CONFUSION. >> IT HAS BEEN RESEARCHED, IT HAS BEEN TESTED, IT HAS BEEN APPROVED. WALTER: WITH ELIGIBILITY EXPANDING, HERE IS A SNAPSHOT WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW. APPOINTMENTS WILL BE AVAILABLE ON THE MY TURN WEBSITE. PROVIDER’S WEBSITE. EACH COUNTY HAS THEIR OWN SUPPLY THE STATE AS A WHOLE RECEIVED FEWER DOSES THIS WEEK COMPARED TO WEEKS PAST DUE TO MILLIONS OF JOHNSON AND JOHNSON DOSES BEING TOSSED OUT. BRANDI: BUT EVEN WITH THIS, SOME COUNTIES AND CLINICS DO STILL HAVE HUNDREDS, EVEN THOUSANDS OF APPOINTMENTS AVAILABLE FOR THIS WEEK. BECAUSE OF THIS SOME COUNTIE HAVE OPENED UP THEIR ELIGIBILITY EARLY TO KEEP APPOINTMENTS FILLED. STANISLAUS COUNTY DID IT A COUPLE WEEKS AGO. SAN FRANCISCO OPENED IT UP TO PEOPLE IN CERTAIN ZIP CODES YESTERDAY. AND STARTING TOMORROW, PLACER COUNTY WILL OPEN IT UP TO CALIFORNIANS 16 YEARS AND OLDER. WALTER: KCRA 3’S MELANIE WINGO TALKED TO THE COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT. ABOUT WHY THEY DECIDED TO OPEN UP AVAILABILITY EARLY. REPORTER: WHEN THIS PLACER COUNTY COVID VACCINE CLINI OPENS MONDAY, A NEW CROP OF RECIPIENTS WILL BE ABLE TO GET THE SHOT >> WE DECIDED TO PULL THE TRIGGER AND OPEN TO THE NE PHASE OF ELIGIBILITY REPORTER: PLACER COUNTY OPENING ELIGIBILITY TO GIVE APPOINTMENT SLOTS FILLED. >> WE HAVE APPOINTMENT SLOTS AND WE NEVER WANT THOSE SITTING OPEN. WE ARE PREEMPTING THE TIMELINE BY A FEW DAYS. REPORTER: PEOPLE 16 YEARS AND OLDER WELCOME TO SIGN UP FOR VACCINATIONS. >> JUST SAYING 16 PLUS MAKES IT SO MUCH EASIER FOR PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND REPORTER: PLACER COUNTY RESIDENTS SHARING THEIR REASON FOR AND AGAINST GETTING THE VACCIN >> WE HAVE A NEWBORN AND WE ARE HAVING HER GRANDPARENTS LOOK AFTER HER. WE WANT TO ALL BE HEALTHY AND STAY SAFE. >> IF I DON’T HAVE TO GET IT, I WOULD RATHER NOT >> I MYSELF REACT REALLY BADLY TO VACCINATION >> WOULD YOU GET YOUR SON BACKS AND IT IF HE WERE OLD ENOUGH? >> I WOULD. THEY ARE HEALTHY, THEY ARE GOOD, I DON’T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH IT. >> I AM GLAD MORE PEOPLE ARE ALLOWED TO GET IT, COVID IS A PRETTY BIG DEAL. REPORTER: THIS HEALTH CARE EMPLOYEE EXPLAINING HER WORK IN THE ICU PROMPTED HER TO GET THE SHOT >> I HAVE SEEN SO MANY PEOPLE DIE OF COVID, AND THE EMOTIONA IMPACT IT HAD ON THE HEALTH CARE FIELD. I SAID THIS IS MY DUTY, TO KEEP PEOPLE SAFE. REPORTER: AS ELIGIBILITY EXPANDS, AN IMPORTANT CAVEAT TO NOTE >> RIGHT NOW THE PFIZER VACCINE IS THE ONLY ONE APPROVED FOR THE 16 TO 18 WINDO THE MODERNA AND J&J ARE 18 PLUS. LUCKILY, OUR CLINIC IS MOSTLY DOING PFIZER. SO MOST OF THE LINKS YOU WIL SEE A PFIZER FOR THIS WEEK. REPORTER: AS THE COUNTY OFFERS DOSES TO MORE PEOPLE, THOSE PLANNING TO RECEIVE THE SHOT ARE HOPEFUL ABOUT WHAT GREATER REACH WILL MEAN. >> IT IS OUR WAY TO GET BACK TO NORMALCY IF WE CAN GET THERE, BUT IT IS ONE STEP CLOSER. REPORTER: IN ROSEVILLE, KCRA 3 NEWS WALTER: TO SIGN UP FOR A VACCINATION APPOINTMENT IN PLACER COUNTY, YOU CAN VISIT THE COUNTY WEBSITE AND CLICK ON THE COVID-19 VACCINE INFORMATION PROMTS. THE COUNTY IS ALSO ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO REGISTER ON THE STATE’S MY TURN SITE. AS MOST COUNTIES IN THE STATE WILL SHIFT TO THAT PLATFORM THIS WEEK. WE WILL HAVE LINKS ON KCRA.C