COVID vaccine update: Placer ranks high among California counties in rate of doses given
California is weeks into a mass vaccination campaign to bring an end to the COVID-19 pandemic, administering tens of thousands of shots a day.
The California Department of Public Health on its vaccine tracker reported Thursday that providers have administered 2,893,493 out of about 4.73 million doses that have been distributed to hospital systems and local health offices, an increase by 163,231 from the total reported Wednesday. About 178,000 additional doses have been ordered but not yet shipped, CDPH says.
The state reported increases of about 150,000 from Monday to Tuesday and 143,000 from Tuesday to Wednesday. It remains unclear how much of the growth comes from recent data reporting improvements as opposed to shots actually being injected.
The CDPH numbers are raw totals without distinction between first and second doses. According to federal data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 83% of California’s shots given have been first doses: over 2.28 million, compared to about 459,000 second doses statewide.
Pfizer and Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccines are two-dose regimens, taken three weeks and four weeks apart, respectively.
The CDC on its own tracking dashboard reported that, through Wednesday, California had administered 6,952 doses for every 100,000 residents, which ranked 14th lowest among the 50 states and D.C.
California is launching a program called “My Turn” that will let Californians sign up for text or email alerts to notify that they are eligible to get the vaccine.
Here is the latest on vaccine distribution in the Sacramento area.
Placer leads Sacramento area in vaccine rate, Top 5 in state
These are the totals for combined first and second doses, administered through the end of Wednesday, as reported by CDPH, by recipient county of residence.
▪ Sacramento: 92,571 (5,904 doses per 100,000 residents)
▪ El Dorado: 11,732 (6,076 per 100,000)
▪ Placer: 36,304 (9,066 per 100,000)
▪ Yolo: 15,634 (6,992 per 100,000)
Placer County ranked No. 4 among California’s 58 counties in terms of the shots administered per capita, The Bee calculated using CDPH data. Ahead of Placer are three Bay Area counties: Napa, Marin and Contra Costa.
Placer was also the only county in the immediate capital region above the statewide rate reported by CDPH of 7,210 doses per 100,000 residents. Yolo County was 3% below the state average, El Dorado County 16% below and Sacramento County 18% under it.
Placer health director Dr. Robert Oldham during a Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday credited the county’s early success to the county-run clinic at The Grounds (formerly Placer County Fairgrounds) in Roseville, which he said is off to a good start and administered 4,000 shots in a four-day stretch last week.
But Oldham also said the county is being hamstrung by limited supply and could easily administer more doses if allocated.
Placer is receiving an average of about 4,300 doses per week from the state, but the Roseville clinic and partnering Safeway pharmacies already have capacity to administer about 7,400 a week, Oldham said.
“When you add our other health providers who have already shown willingness and capacity to administer vaccine, we could quickly ramp up to have the capacity administer around 20,000 to 25,000 doses per week,” Oldham said. “In addition, we continue to cultivate partnerships with other providers and pharmacies, so we can scale up even more when our vaccine allocation increases.”
Oldham’s numbers underscore the importance of scaling up supply. For a two-dose schedule, a pace of 25,000 shots per week could vaccinate 75% of Placer’s 400,000 residents in less than six months. At 4,300 shots a week, it would take more than 2 1/2 years.
Sacramento health offices, clinics
These are direct allotments to local health departments, according to each county.
Counties in which multi-county hospital systems, such as Kaiser Permanente or Sutter Health, have little or no presence may be receiving larger direct allocations relative to their populations, which are then distributed down to hospital systems that only operate in a single county.
Most county health offices are splitting their direct allocations between their own county-run clinics, non-chain hospitals and other partners, including some Safeway pharmacies.
Sacramento
▪ Phase: 1A (front-line health workers; long-term care residents)
▪ Received directly: 16,350 doses, as of Jan. 14.
▪ Administered: 15,115 doses (92% of received).
El Dorado
▪ Phase: 1A and 1B (adults 65 and older; essential workers in some sectors).
▪ Received: 16,700 doses, as of Thursday.
▪ Administered: Not reported.
El Dorado County on Thursday canceled vaccine appointments at its public health clinic in South Lake Tahoe due to extreme snow in the forecast.
Those who had appointments set for today will be contacted to reschedule for next Tuesday.
Placer
▪ Phase: 1A; 1B in “extremely limited supply.”
▪ Received: 14,525 first doses and 8,750 second doses, as of Jan. 8.
▪ Administered: “Nearly 10,000” total doses by county-run clinics and “about 2,500” through partnerships with Safeway pharmacies, Health and Human Services official Michael Romero estimated during a Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday.
Yolo
▪ Phase: 1A; early 1B “in February”
▪ Received: “Around 6,050 first doses and 4,450 second doses,” county spokeswoman Jenny Tan said in a Monday video briefing.
▪ Administered: 5,331 first doses (88% of received) and 1,456 second doses (33%), as of last Friday.
Yolo County in an update Thursday said it will begin the first tier of Phase 1B, vaccinating residents 75 and older first, in February.
“Starting February 2021, Yolo County will be vaccinating residents 75+ because they are the most vulnerable out of those who are 65+,” the county said on a flyer. “The County will first focus on the most underserved areas based on socio-economic vulnerability.”
Hospital systems
Hospital systems operating in multiple counties received their own allocations from the state. These make up most of the rest of the total for shots administered to county residents not provided directly through county clinics and partnerships. A large portion of Phase 1A shots are still being given to front-line health workers.
UC Davis Health says on its website it has vaccinated more than 11,000 of its employees and students. It started vaccinations for adults ages 75 and older two weeks ago.
On its website last week, UC Davis Health said it would begin making appointments for those ages 65 to 74 “once everyone who wants a vaccine” in the 75-and-over group has received one. The system says it will follow CDC and CDPH guidelines.
Kaiser Permanente said in an update to its patient website two weeks ago that it had “limited” vaccine appointments available for health workers; long-term care residents and staff; and those age 65 and older. But in an update to the Kaiser website early last week, the 65-or-older category was no longer listed as eligible for appointments.
This week, Kaiser clarified that “very limited” supplies mean the hospital system is still prioritizing those 75 and older.
“State guidelines expanded to include (ages 65 to 74), but supply is still very limited,” a portion of Kaiser’s COVID-19 vaccine website now reads. “As more supplies become available to meet this need, we’ll send you a letter or email with instructions for scheduling your appointment. You don’t need to contact us. We’re starting with adults 75 and older.”
Sutter Health is continuing to schedule appointments for patients age 75 or older. Sutter Health on its website says it is “prioritizing patients who are highest risk according to government guidance.”
Sutter recently added a note on its webpage saying, “multiple vaccination locations are opening across Northern California,” but no more specific details were available.
Dignity Health said it has started “pilot vaccination clinics” for Mercy Medical Group patients ages 75 and over and is planning additional clinics to “expand access to patients who are 65 and older with high-risk medical conditions.”
Mercy Medical Group says it will be proactively contacting patients who meet these criteria.
This story was originally published January 28, 2021 at 12:12 PM.
