COVID vaccine distribution in the Bay Area: Here s what you need to know FacebookTwitterEmail Respiratory care practitioner Raul Aguilar receives the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center in Los Angeles, Monday.Jae C. Hong / Associated Press Editor s note: This story is no longer being updated. Please go to this vaccine FAQ for the latest information. The U.S. coronavirus vaccine rollout has been much slower than anticipated, with only 4 million doses distributed so far versus the 20 million promised. California’s inoculation efforts also are off to a slow start, with less than one-third of the available doses administered so far, officials say.
After frontline medical workers and residents of long-term care facilities receive vaccines, a consensus is emerging among health experts advising officials in California and nationally that teachers and other school staff be high on the priority list to be vaccinated next. In an emergency meeting Sunday, an influential advisory panel to the Centers for Disease Control recommended that teachers, school staff and child care workers be among the next group of essential workers to be vaccinated due to the positive impact reopening schools will have on students and their families, and to minimize the health risks to the communities they serve. The next step is for CDC director Dr. Robert Redfield to approve the recommendations, which he is expected to do shortly.
California Grocers Association President and CEO Ron Fong To help emphasize the importance of vaccinating grocery workers, California Grocers Association (CGA) President and CEO Ron Fong was appointed to the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) Community Vaccine Advisory Committee, which is tasked with providing input into the distribution and allocation of the COVID-19 vaccine. âThis is a tremendous opportunity to have a seat at the table as the vaccine begins being distributed throughout California,â Fong said. âItâs critical the state prioritize front-line grocery workers to receive the vaccine, after health care workers. â âWhile the COVID-19 vaccine is new, we are not starting our planning process from scratch. This is an area of expertise we have strong partnerships in, building on lessons learned from previous vaccination campaigns, including H1N1 and seasonal flu,â said California Gov. Gavin Newsom when announcing the committee last month. âWeâve been planning and thinking about this for months, and we are being guided by some of the worldâs best experts in this field.â