California prisons start vaccinating employees, inmates in Stockton

A state prison in Stockton that houses California’s most seriously ill inmates will be the first to start vaccinating employees and prisoners Tuesday morning, a union official said.

The California Health Care Facility will vaccinate volunteers, prioritizing employees and inmates based on age and health conditions, exposure to the coronavirus and — for employees — the type of work performed, said Steve Crouch, director of public employees for the International Union of Operating Engineers, a union that represents prison maintenance and HVAC employees.

The prisons are basing vaccination decisions on risk factors, not on whether potential recipients are inmates or employees, according to limited information the California Correctional Health Care Services has posted online.

Crouch said the prison is hoping at least 70% of employees and inmates will volunteer. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation is aiming for the same target across the 35 prisons it operates by the end of January, Crouch said.

Crouch said the corrections department shared details with union officials and others in a conference call Monday.

California Correctional Health Care Services spokeswoman Elizabeth Gransee didn’t provide specifics in response to questions Monday afternoon.

“CDCR and CCHCS received the first allotment of the COVID-19 vaccine and will begin vaccinations this week in accordance with state and federal guidelines,” Gransee said in an email.

Crouch said the department has about 18,600 doses of the Moderna vaccine and about 3,250 doses of the Pfizer vaccine.

Infections have been surging in California’s state prisons amid the third virus’ wave.

About 10,750 prisoners have active COVID-19 cases, and 111 prisoners have died from complications related to the virus, according to the latest information from the corrections department. A Stockton inmate died Sunday, the third from the prison to die from the virus.

Among employees, 3,234 have active infections and 11 have died, according to the department.

Crouch said the prison system isn’t planning to require employees to get vaccinated, and that it isn’t planning on vaccinating people who have antibodies from a prior infection.

The prison will start vaccinations at 8 a.m., Crouch said. He said younger workers who take care of elderly family members won’t be prioritized.

This story was originally published December 22, 2020 at 5:00 AM.