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All San Diegans in Phase 1A eligible for COVID vaccine

It could be "several weeks" before vaccine rollout gets underway for essential workers who fall into Phase 1B

SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. — In San Diego County, anyone who falls into Phase 1A of the vaccine rollout is now eligible to get the COVID vaccine.

This includes all health care workers, as well as nursing home residents and staff, totaling roughly half a million people.

Still, the demand for the vaccine exceeds available supplies, and as the rollout continues, frustration persists that it is not going quickly enough.

"It is just simply a matter of building up the infrastructure to handle the volume we need in order to vaccinate everyone," said Dr. Ankita Kadakia, an infectious disease specialist with the County of San Diego, "but I guarantee you that we are moving as fast as we possibly can."

At a virtual town hall Thursday, county health leaders urged a healthy dose of patience, as the COVID-19 vaccine distribution continues here at the local level.

"I know that there are a lot of questions of when," said Nick Macchione, director of the county's Health and Human Services Agency. "Give me a date!"

With the demand for the vaccine still outpacing supply, Macchione conceded it is difficult to provide a specific timeline for the upcoming phases, such as Phase 1B, which includes essential workers, like teachers and grocery store workers, as well as those over age 75.

"The idea is to quickly vaccinate as many San Diegans following this sequence, but it will not be for several more weeks at this point for sure," Macchione added.

In order to vaccinate as many people as possible as quickly as possible, the United Kingdom has announced it would extend the time between administering the first and second doses of the vaccine by 12 weeks, instead of the recommended time gap of three to four weeks.

"By extending the gap (between first and second doses of vaccines) we are going to over the next three months, be able to essentially double the number of people we can get vaccinated.," said Dr. Chris Whitty, England's Chief Medical Officer. 

It is a controversial move, though, and one not supported by the World Health Organization, because there is no scientific evidence that this extended time-table would provide the 94-to-95 percent immunity demonstrated with two doses within a month of each other.

Here at home, enough supplies exist to provide the second dose on time.

"We are receiving vaccines weekly so we continue to have allocations coming in to be able to give those second doses," Dr. Kadakia said. 

To see the breakdown of the different phases of the vaccine rollout here in San Diego County, click here

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