SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. — All Californians aged 16 and older will be eligible to get a coronavirus vaccine beginning on Thursday. San Diego County officials expect it will be initially difficult for everyone who wants an appointment to get one and have asked for patience.
“It’s going to create a surge of people seeking out vaccines. So, there will be the normal frustration that we’ve been through multiple times and challenges in getting appointments and we continue to ask everyone to be patient,” said Supervisor Nathan Fletcher.
Adults can receive any COVID-19 vaccine, but teens aged 16 and 17 can only receive Pfizer’s because it is the only one given emergency use authorization for that age bracket.
The state anticipates a bulk of those who want to get the vaccine will get one in the next two weeks. It expects most will receive their second dose by May 27, which would line up with the scheduled reopening of the state on June 15 since the vaccines take an additional two weeks to be fully effective.
“We’re waiting on more supply. As more people finish their second dose it’ll free up more second dose appointments so please be patient,” said Fletcher.
Last week, the county received nearly 300,000 doses, the most of any week since shipments began in December.
However, the county cannot distribute approximately 11,000 doses of Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose vaccine. The Food and Drug Administration asked states to temporarily stop giving out the vaccine this week after reports of six recipients having serious blood clots nationwide.
California announced Tuesday it would halt distribution but maintained it would not affect its reopening goal.
San Diego health officials said no serious side effects were reported among doses given within the county. Unused doses can keep for up to three months at normal refrigerator temperatures.
“The beauty of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is that it can last for three months when it’s refrigerated. Unlike the other two vaccines that we are currently using, the two-dose series of Pfizer and Moderna, it has a much longer refrigerator shelf life,” said Wilma Wooten, M.D., M.P.H., San Diego’s Public Health Officer.
The county substituted Pfizer or Moderna vaccines for people who had appointments to receive the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
As of Wednesday, about 28% of residents 16 and older are fully vaccinated. The California Department of Public Health estimates 75% of residents must be vaccinated to achieve “herd immunity.” San Diego is on pace to achieve the goal by the anticipated reopening date of June 15.
The actual number of people who have been vaccinated may be far higher than reported. The data is only based on providers who report to the San Diego Regional Immunization Registry, which does not include Veteran’s Affairs, the Department of Defense and some tribal entities.
Fletcher said Rep. Scott Peters has told the county the data will be added within the next few weeks.
“As we move forward, we can begin incorporating those numbers in so we can get a clearer picture, a more accurate picture, a more total picture of what It looks like on our progress toward our goal,” said Fletcher.