COVID vaccine updates: California hits 4 million doses given, Sacramento rate below average
California is about eight weeks into a mass vaccination campaign to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, administering tens of thousands of shots a day.
The California Department of Public Health on its vaccine tracker reported Friday that providers have administered 4,199,626 out of about 6.8 million doses that have been distributed to hospital systems and local health offices, a record-high daily increase of 214,874 doses given.
Friday became the first day to clear 200,000 shots added to the tally, though it’s unclear whether the total includes any backlog from previous days; California struggled with data reporting on doses administered, particularly in the first few weeks of the rollout. The state added about 192,000 shots from Wednesday to Thursday, the previous daily high.
The state public health numbers don’t distinguish between first and second doses. According to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data updated Thursday, about 83% of California’s shots given have been first doses: close to 3.1 million.
The COVID-19 vaccines currently available require two shots. Pfizer’s is taken three weeks apart and Moderna’s four weeks apart.
Johnson & Johnson has requested emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration for its single-dose vaccine candidate. If it is cleared for use without any issues on a similar timeline as Pfizer and Moderna were, J&J shot could start to ship as soon as early March.
The CDC on its tracking dashboard reported that California through Wednesday had administered 9,424 doses for every 100,000 residents. That ranks 10th lowest among the 50 states and Washington, D.C.; however the next 10 states ranking above California are ahead of it by less than 3%. The total reported Friday by CDPH works out to 10,465 per 100,000.
Hospital systems and public health clinics have been expanding access. Sacramento County in a Monday update to its vaccination schedule says it has formally entered Phase 1B of the rollout, giving shots to some people ages 65 and older as well as to law enforcement and emergency services workers while also continuing to vaccinate health workers in Phase 1A.
Sutter Health has begun vaccinating patients 65 and older, joining UC Davis Medical Center and Mercy Medical Group in opening up for that group.
The county’s other major health provider, Kaiser Permanente, continues to offer appointments only for those 75 and older along with 1A health workers.
Here is the latest on vaccine distribution in the Sacramento area:
How many doses have been given across Sacramento area?
These are the totals for combined first and second doses, administered through Thursday, as reported by the state public health department, by recipient county of residence.
▪ Sacramento: 138,839 (8,855 doses per 100,000 residents)
▪ El Dorado: 19,611 (10,156 doses per 100,000)
▪ Placer: 53,560 (13,375 doses per 100,000)
▪ Yolo: 20,905 (10,711 doses per 100,000)
It is unknown how many residents of each county have been fully vaccinated; neither CDPH nor individual counties in the Sacramento area have given comprehensive figures for first doses vs. second doses. Local health officials say the county will be adding a more detailed vaccine data dashboard soon.
Sacramento remains about 15% below the statewide average, according to CDPH data.
It’s unclear to what extent reporting delays play a factor in county-to-county differences.
Local health offices, public clinics
Local health departments in the capital region are receiving several thousand doses of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines on a weekly basis, according to each 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.
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 to hospital systems that only operate in a single county.
Sacramento
▪ Phase: 1A (front-line health workers; long-term care residents) and early stages of 1B (adults 65 and older; essential workers in some sectors)
▪ Received directly: 16,350 doses, last updated Jan. 14.
▪ Administered: 15,115 doses (92% of received).
The county has started offering vaccine appointments at three clinics for those in eligible groups: one at the Sacramento State campus, one at California Northstate University in Elk Grove and one recently opened at Urgent Care Now in Carmichael.
Appointment information can be found via the Sacramento County website at dhs.saccounty.net.
Both the Sacramento State and Northstate sites are walk-thru clinics while Urgent Care Now is drive-thru. All three offer only the Pfizer vaccine, which means a three-week wait for the second dose.
The county has also shared a list of partnering Safeway pharmacies that are offering clinics. Those are open for both health workers in Phase 1A and county residents at least 65 years old.
Local health officials believe Sacramento County will be able to begin vaccinating teachers in about a week.
El Dorado
▪ Phase: 1A and first tier of 1B “with an emphasis on residents 75 and older”
▪ Received: 24,325 doses as of Friday
▪ Administered: “Nearly 18,000” (74% of received) as of Thursday, according to the county website.
El Dorado County officials in a recent FAQ said all appointments through its public health office clinics and all six of its Safeway pharmacy partners have been booked through mid-February.
The county is offering assistance at its libraries for seniors 75 and older who do not have internet access or who are having trouble navigating the online registration system. A flyer with details can be found here, at www.edcgov/us.
Placer
▪ Phase: 1A; first tier of 1B “partially in progress”
▪ Received: Not reported since early January.
▪ 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 on Jan. 26.
Placer County recently expanded eligibility at its public health office clinic in Roseville to include “education, childcare and emergency services workers employed in Placer County,” but supply remains scarce and first-come, first-serve appointment spots fill extremely fast.
Information on county-run clinics in Placer is available at placer.ca.gov/vaccineclinics.
Yolo
▪ Phase: 1A and early 1B, for adults 65 and older
▪ Received: “Around 8,000” first doses and 4,550 second doses, county spokeswoman Jenny Tan said Monday.
▪ Administered: 6,846 first doses through Monday, according to the Yolo County website; at least 2,046 second doses, Tan said.
Yolo on Friday formally entered Phase 1B and is offering clinics for those ages 65 and up who reside in the county.
The county is planning four public clinics next week: two that are only for residents of specific parts of the county, and two that are open to residents from all parts of the county.
The county will run a clinic next Thursday in Esparto for residents of Esparto, Madison and Capay Valley; and another on Feb. 14 for residents in Knights Landing for residents there. Those living in those areas are asked to call 211 to learn details about the clinic.
The other two clinics open to all Yolo residents over age 65 as well as health workers will be held Feb. 12, 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the county health office in Woodland; and Feb. 13, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Harper Junior High School parking in Davis.
Registration details are available on the county website at yolocounty.org. As of midday Friday, numerous time slots were available for each of the Feb. 12 and Feb. 13 clinics.
Hospital systems
Hospital systems operating in multiple counties receive their own allocations from the state.
Most of the earliest of these shots went to health workers, but priority is being expanded to patients in the 65-plus and 75-plus age groups.
Sutter Health has opened its appointments to those 65 or older. Patients of the health system who meet the age criteria can find booking information through Sutter’s My Health Online portal.
Sutter this week opened centers in Sacramento and Roseville. Officials are not disclosing exact locations for these sites to the general public, because they don’t want people to show up without appointments.
UC Davis Health officials told The Bee earlier this week that the system had vaccinated more than 22,000 people so far, including more than 11,000 employees and students plus more than 10,000 patients.
It started vaccinations for adults ages 75 and older in mid-January and according to its website is now vaccinating patients 65 and older.
UC Davis Health is averaging 1,000 shots a day at its main hospital in Sacramento and will open a second site this week. Both are appointment-only.
Dignity Health in an update Friday said vaccines are “now available for patients who have a Mercy Medical Group primary care physician and who are 65 and older.”
Mercy Medical Group said that as of last Friday it had administered “over 1,800 vaccines so far” to patients in the Sacramento area during pilot clinics that began the week of Jan. 11. Mercy says it will give about 2,400 this week and plans to increase capacity to handle “3,000+ shots weekly.”
The provider says it will be proactively contacting patients who meet the eligibility criteria.
Kaiser Permanente continues to focus initial inoculations on those ages 75 and older, according to its patient website.
“As more supplies become available to meet this need, we’ll send you a letter or email with instructions for scheduling your appointment,” Kaiser Permanente says on its website. “You don’t need to contact us. We’re starting with adults 75 and older.”
