By Richard Ivanhoe, HANC Board
Information about obtaining a Covid-19 vaccine has been inconsistent and confusing. There are different Federal, State, and City websites, as well as information coming from private health plans and pharmacies. Plus, California is in the midst of revising its vaccination plans.
Here is information we can give you (as of the end of January):
Eligibility - California
The California site (https://myturn.ca.gov/) will tell you if you are eligible for a vaccine, but is only booking appointments in Los Angeles and San Diego Counties for healthcare workers and individuals over 65. California’s tier system is described at https://covid19.ca.gov/vaccines/#California's-vaccination-plan .
Eligibility-San Francisco
San Francisco’s site (https://sf.gov/get-notified-when-youre-eligible-covid-19-vaccine) will also tell you when you are eligible to be vaccinated. Again, being declared eligible does not mean that you can get a vaccine. Although individuals 65 and older are eligible, the State is first prioritizing those who are 75 and older, have high occupational exposure, or reside in vulnerable communities. The State’s allocation guidelines (as of January 22) can be found at https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/Revision-of-Allocation-Guidelines-for-COVID-19-Vaccine.aspx .
City Drive-through Vaccinations
The City of San Francisco and UCSF have teamed up and opened a drive-through vaccination site at the City College Ocean campus. Registration is online only (https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ucsf-health-covid-19-vaccination-drive-through-clinic-for-age-65-and-over-registration-139323433139?ref=eios ). The website indicates that vaccinations are available for those 65 and older, by appointment only. Appointments seem to be available only a day or two in advance and fill up quickly. As of January 31, the only appointments showing were for February 1, and all appointments were taken. There is a drop-down menu to choose a different date at the right of the webpage. We suggest checking this website frequently to see if additional appointments open up.
Private Insurers
Kaiser and Sutter Health were provided vaccines. If you belong to either of these health plans, you should contact them for more information. If you have other private health insurance, it would also be a good idea to contact your health plan. And of course, coordinate with your primary care provider.
Pharmacies
Walgreens and CVS also have vaccine sign-up websites, but it appears that vaccines are not yet available in San Francisco.
The Federal website, https://www.vaccines.gov/diseases/covid , describes the vaccines, but does not seem to provide assistance in getting a vaccination appointment.
Stay Informed
We can also recommend this article in the Westside Observer: https://westsideobserver.com/news/longTermCare.html#jan21 . Scroll down for links for vaccine appointments and information, many of which are repeated in this article.
As mentioned earlier, California is in the midst of revising its vaccination plans, and announced during the last week of January that Blue Shield and Kaiser will administer the State’s vaccination program. Some reports expect the transition in mid-February. Meanwhile, our advice is to check the links we have provided. Good luck!