Sacramento Region Vaccination Sites Ask People For Honesty As Vaccine Eligibility Expands
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — With vaccine eligibility expanding statewide, vaccination sites are preparing for a surge and many are relying on people to be honest about their eligibility.
The doors are now open for people 16 to 64 who have pre-existing conditions as well as transit workers and those who work in high-risk congregate settings.
The Sacramento County vaccination site at McClellan Park is planning to ramp up distribution to up to 1,000 people per day.
"I'm really happy I got my vaccine!" Natalia Bedes-Correnti said after getting her shot Monday afternoon.
Bedes-Correnti got her first vaccine dose on the day she became eligible. She battles asthma and multiple sclerosis and now feels more confident about avoiding COVID-19.
"It would be devastating for me," she said.
People with heart conditions and diabetes are also on the list. Many vaccination sites across the Sacramento region said they will not require proof, for privacy reasons. However, they will ask people to sign a "letter of attestation" about their condition.
"We are ultimately going off the honor system. Obviously, we want to make sure other people aren't jumping ahead of other people who really do need it," said Jason Cowin, a vaccine drive-thru site manager for Curative, which has multiple locations across the Northern California region.
Cowin said supply has been steady at the McClellan park site but warns appointment slots will be competitive.
"They fill up within several minutes to an hour. So it's best to keep on checking every single day," he said.
People in categories that have already been eligible are still lining up for their turn.
CBS13 spoke to Brian Nevis, a grocery store worker in Yolo County who got his shot at McClellan Monday afternoon.
"It is a relief. I've been out there working with the public for the last year or so," Nevis said.
Bedes-Correnti said her chance came so quick thanks to her persistent husband who's been checking for appointments constantly.
"We got our appointment right away. If we had waited a few days, these appointments would have been gone," she said.
When it comes to vaccine dose supply, it appears like counties are becoming more and more confident. Amid McClellan's plans to ramp up, a spokesperson for the Yuba County Health Department Yuba County said their allotments have increased in the last two weeks, and they expect it to increase again with the eligibility expansion.
Individuals with the following health conditions are eligible for the vaccine now:
- Cancer, current with weakened immune system
- Chronic kidney disease, stage 4 or above
- Chronic pulmonary disease, oxygen dependent
- Down syndrome
- Solid organ transplant, leading to a weakened immune system
- Pregnancy
- Sickle cell disease
- Heart conditions, such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, or cardiomyopathy (but not hypertension)
- Severe obesity (body mass index greater than or equal to 40 kg/m2)
- Type 2 diabetes mellitus with hemoglobin A1c level greater than 7.5%
