San Mateo County addresses low vaccine supply

Under supply constraints itself, San Mateo County officials are looking into ways it may assist residents in accessing second dose COVID-19 vaccines after tens of thousands of appointments were canceled through Sutter Health.

“We haven’t received supply to step into that role to mitigate the impact,” said Deputy Chief of Health Srija Srinivasan during a virtual press briefing Wednesday. “But certainly we would want to work with Sutter partners on any avenues that could be accessed if there are appointments available and the right vaccine.”

Sutter Health said in a statement that supply constraints have put roughly 90,000 vaccine appointments at risk. The health care provider paused scheduling first dose appointments in early February due to “insufficient vaccine allocations” and eventually had to postpone any further first dose appointments through March 9, said the statement.

Sutter staff is still currently working to inform patients of the cancelations. Those whose appointments have been canceled will receive a call within seven to 10 days to reschedule, said Sutter Health.

“We have been urgently requesting the additional allocations we need from the state in order to prevent canceling the more than 90,000 second dose vaccination appointments currently on our books,” read the statement. “This is an extremely unfortunate situation for our patients, and one that is avoidable if we can get additional vaccine supply.”

Distribution challenges

Srinivasan said the county was informed of the vaccine appointment cancelations Tuesday night and, on Wednesday, began looking into how many San Mateo County residents were affected. A figure was not available as of Wednesday.

The county has experienced supply challenges of its own including shipment delays due to intense winter storms affecting much of the country. Officials last week had to borrow vaccine doses from health care partners, though not Sutter, to move forward with planned clinics for teachers and law enforcement officers, said Srinivasan.

Planning for vaccine clinics has also been challenged by late updates from the state on how many doses the county is slated to receive. This week’s shipment of doses has yet to be received and no information has been provided by the state regarding next week’s allocation to the county, said Srinivasan.

“We have worked to assure we have a second dose for every first dose that we administer so we don’t need to be in a position of uncertainty,” affirmed Srinivasan.

Still, Srinivasan said the county is interested in working with Sutter to help mitigate the effect of second dose cancelations on San Mateo County residents.

Second doses of both the Moderna and Pfizer Inc. vaccines can be administered up to six weeks after the first dose, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Patients will not have to restart the series if a second dose is administered after the six-week-window though data is limited on both vaccines’ efficacy after then.

Switching vaccines for second doses is discouraged, noted Srinivasan.

Vaccine progress

Despite supply challenges, Srinivasan and County Manager Mike Callagy voiced optimism for the newly approved Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Roughly 1.1 million doses are expected to reach the state over the next three weeks, said state Sen. Josh Becker, D-San Mateo, during a press conference Monday.

“The best shot is the one that goes into your arm,” said Callagy. “We encourage everyone to take whatever vaccine is available as soon as it’s available.”

Srinivasan also highlighted an announcement by the Biden administration that the country will have secured enough doses for every U.S. adult by May.

More than 159,000 residents have received at least one dose in the county, more than half going to seniors over the age of 65. Of the county’s population ages 65 and older, 66% have received at least their first dose.

Two months into vaccinating the elderly, the county is working to address access barriers for the remaining unvaccinated senior population including housebound seniors or those unable to access mass vaccination sites.

Officials are also focused on creating efficient and accessible paths for underserved communities, said Callagy. Recognizing the population of essential workers living in East Palo Alto and Redwood City, two hard-hit communities, Srinivasan said the county is partnering with local organizations to build confidence and trust in the county’s vaccination efforts.

“It is absolutely a priority of the county that the vaccine reach be as equitable as possible,” said Srinivasan. “We do definitely hold ourselves accountable.”

A two-day clinic will be hosted at the San Mateo County Event Center on Friday and Saturday for health care workers and Phase 1B essential workers, including education staff, food and agriculture workers, retail employees and law enforcement officers and seniors.

Anticipated changes

By March 15, the state is expected to broaden eligibility to residents ages 16 and older at greater risk of contracting the virus due to underlying medical conditions, depending on supply.

Additionally, Callagy said an announcement from Gov. Gavin Newsom is expected this week that will outline potential modifications to either vaccination distribution, the state’s tiered reopening system or both.

The county is currently in the state’s second most restrictive red tier, indicating the potential for substantial spread of the virus. Having been in the red tier for one week, the county will need to remain in it another two weeks and meet the next orange tier’s criteria for two consecutive weeks before additional restrictions are lifted, under the current framework.

Acknowledging a decrease in COVID-19 infections and movement on the vaccine front, the officials still warned residents to remain vigilant with practicing safety precautions.

“We hope and pray that this trend continues as we see more of a vaccination rollout in this county but we also must stay vigilant because we know we are not there yet,” said Callagy. “The light is certainly at the end of the tunnel.”

Visit the county’s website at smchealth.org/covid-19-vaccination for more information on vaccination efforts.

sierra@smdailyjournal.com

(650) 344-5200 ext. 106