CA To Vaccinate Those 65 And Older In Next Phase

CALIFORNIA — In response to a delayed coronavirus vaccine rollout and a nudge from the federal government, California will include residents 65 and older in its next phase of the vaccine rollout.

Currently, frontline health care workers are the main priority in the rollout of Phase 1A. Those over 65 will be will now be included in Phase 1B, tier two, which will play out in the coming months as more vaccines become available.

“There is no higher priority than efficiently and equitably distributing these vaccines as quickly as possible to those who face the gravest consequences,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement. “Individuals 65 and older are now the next group eligible to start receiving vaccines. To those not yet eligible for vaccines, your turn is coming. We are doing everything we can to bring more vaccine into the state.”

The news comes just a day after Dr. Mark Ghaly, California's health secretary, announced that the state's vaccine workgroups and top health officials met to discuss guidance offered by the Trump Administration to open up vaccine eligibility Tuesday morning.

The Centers For Disease Control also announced Tuesday that it would make changes to its vaccine plan, making the supply of doses more available across the 50 states.

The state also unveiled a new electronic system to notify Californians when they are eligible to receive a vaccine. That system is expected to launch next week. The notifications are expected to help residents find and schedule vaccination appointments at "community vaccination events," which, the state said, is the only way for eligible Californians to receive their shots.

Amid changing guidelines and attempts to free up more vaccines, the state is racing to vaccinate 1 million more Californians before the weekend, as promised by Newsom.

To tackle this endeavor, the governor added 36,000 dentists to the pool of those who can administer vaccinations.

"The state has already received anecdotal reports of dentists actively administering vaccines after completing the required COVID-19 training," officials wrote in a statement Wednesday.

Pharmacists have also been graced with a waiver to give the shots. There are more than 69,000 pharmacy technicians in the state, officials said.

The state reported on Monday that California had received more than 2.4 million vaccines, with some 783,000 vaccines administered as of Sunday. On Tuesday, Ghaly said only 99,000 Californians had received both shots.

The governor announced this week that it would open up several mass vaccination sites around the Golden State. The following locations have been marked to become vaccination centers:

• Disneyland
• Dodger Stadium
• Petco Park
• Cal Expo

Newsom said this week that "many, many" more large vaccination centers would be opening in the coming weeks and months.

READ MORE: Feds Press California To Vaccinate Everyone Over 65