San Mateo County directs vaccination efforts to communities most affected by COVID-19, doses in smaller, targeted clinics.
Pamela Cruz. Peninsula 360 Press [P360P].
San Mateo County is targeting its efforts to bring the COVID-19 vaccine to communities most affected by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, so it is moving away from mass vaccination sites and will place doses in smaller, targeted clinics.
"Census district data shows us exactly which neighborhoods are being most affected by COVID-19. That's why we are focusing our vaccination efforts by providing clinics in hard-hit zip codes and getting a greater number of doses in the neighborhood they live in and in the language they speak," said Board of Supervisors Chairman David J. Canepa.
And, community clinics will generally operate on regular hours, which will allow for better outreach to residents and more opportunities to schedule appointments. As a result, many clinics will also be able to vaccinate eligible residents without pre-scheduled appointments.
"We look at the data and want to focus on neighborhoods where vaccination rates are lower than the county overall," said Anand Chabra, chief of the county's COVID-19 Vaccination Division.
"We are trying to reach people where they live and in a format that makes sense to them. As much as possible, we want to remove barriers to getting vaccinated," he added.
This week, county-sponsored or supported community immunization events will be held in East Palo Alto, South San Francisco, Belle Haven and North Fair Oaks. Meanwhile, County Health is planning community clinics for next week and expects to announce additional locations soon.
This focus on community clinics will allow the county's Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to plan for expanded mass vaccination sites when more doses become available.
Notably, since January, clinics at the San Mateo County Event Center and San Francisco International Airport have often vaccinated between three and four thousand residents per day, depending on the supply of immunizations.
However, the county stressed in a statement that it expects to be able to increase daily capacity at these sites significantly when vaccine supplies improve.
"The county's priority, especially through an equity lens, is to vaccinate all residents when eligible, and that means we must take the fight to where the battle is," stressed Warren Slocum, whose fourth supervisorial district includes East Palo Alto, North Fair Oaks and Belle.
Through various health care providers, community clinics, partner organizations and County Health, the county has successfully immunized one-third of adults in San Mateo County with at least one dose.
"Ensuring equitable access to vaccines must be our top priority," said Supervisor Dave Pine. "Administering additional vaccines within our vulnerable communities is key to stopping the spread of the virus."
In addition to the additional focus on community clinics, County Health will continue to support vaccination for the homeless, prisoners, and those with state-identified medical conditions, as well as the other groups eligible under state Phase 1A and 1B.
Eligible residents of the selected communities or groups will be contacted by the county or outreach partners.
Those who wish to be vaccinated should register on the county's notification tool, as well as the state's MyTurn, to be informed of vaccination opportunities when eligible.
