How To Get The Coronavirus Vaccine In California

CALIFORNIA — As California attempts to improve and reshape its embattled coronavirus vaccine rollout, residents of the Golden State have struggled to keep up. Many eligible for inoculation have been left to wonder: How do I get a vaccine?

The answer to that question has changed a few times, and it largely depends on where you live and how many clinics or vaccination centers have enough doses on hand.

This month, every Californian over the age of 16 became eligible for a vaccine — a major advancement in the state's initially sluggish rollout. And since dosage supplies have been majorly bolstered, the state might actually be able to reopen fully by June 15, a date that Gov. Gavin Newsom targeted earlier this month.

That reopening date hinges on the assumption that much of the state will be fully inoculated by then. As of this week, more than a quarter of all adults in California had been fully vaccinated. Yet, this doesn't reflect how many people are actually equipped with the full immunity these doses have to offer.

People are only considered fully vaccinated two weeks after a second dose of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines or a single dose of Johnson & Johnson's Janssen vaccine, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The first shot of the two-dose vaccines is considered to have up to 80 percent effectiveness in preventing illness, but that number is "somewhat tenuous," Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's leading infectious disease expert, said last week. It isn't known how long that protection lasts, which is why experts urge Californians not to skip their second shot or to take too many risks between doses or immediately after their second shot.

"You're in a tenuous zone if you don't have the full impact," Fauci said.

Supplies of Moderna and Pfizer recently increased dramatically, but it remains to be seen how the temporary pause on the Johnson & Johnson vaccine will affect the rollout.

California paused the use of the single dose vaccine last week following concerns over a handful of serious blood clotting reports, state officials confirmed. The news came after the federal government recommended an immediate pause in the use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine nationwide after six U.S. recipients — all women between 18 and 48 — developed serious blood clots 6 to 13 days after being inoculated.

One woman died, and a second woman in Nebraska was hospitalized in critical condition.

The state has continued to receive J&J doses from the federal government, a spokesperson for the California Department of Public Health told Patch this week, on condition of anonymity. But it is currently waiting on a green light from the federal government to resume use.

"We are closely following the anticipated announcement from CDC expected later this week," the spokesperson said.

There is "no information" so far as to whether any Californians have experienced blood clotting following the administration of the single-dose vaccine, officials said.

California has administered more than 26 million vaccines, and more than 50 percent of adults in the state have received at least one dose, according to state data.

"It is incumbent upon all of us not to announce, 'Mission accomplished,' ... but to continue that vigilance that got us where we are today," Newsom said earlier this month. "We are seeing bright light at the end of the tunnel."

What's more, as the state inoculates more and more residents, its also reopening counties further and resuming events. Part of this process has been figuring out just how to safely welcome Californians back into group scenarios without tipping the scales.

The idea of "vaccine passports" has been tossed around lately as officials scramble to reopen the state. But officials like Dr. Mark Ghaly, the state's health secretary, have repeatedly said there are no plans to officiate such a passport.

But that doesn't mean private businesses and public venues can't.

Earlier this month, the state released a fresh new set of rules for businesses and venues — both large and small — to resume indoor events. Included in the guidance on capacity was a note that capacity could increase at each tier level "if all guests are tested or show proof of full vaccination."

So, basically, event centers and concert venues have a huge incentive to ask for proof of vaccination — they can make more money and skip the hassle of setting up a "vaccinated only section."

Yes, you heard that right. Forget smoking sections, this year, California will debut "vaccinated-only sections," where inoculated attendees can sit shoulder to shoulder, but face coverings will still be required.

SEE ALSO: 87% Of Californians Now Live In Orange Tier Counties

In the meantime, experts urge eligible Californians to do their best to try to get vaccinated, despite any challenges the state is facing with Johnson & Johnson or a crowded appointment system.

Here's what you need to do to get vaccinated.

Check your eligibility

After an embattled first several months of the vaccine rollout, where the state scrambled to vaccinate healthcare workers and vulnerable citizens, everyone 16 and older became eligible this month.

Make an appointment

If you're eligible, you can book an appointment on the state's scheduling website MyTurn or on its phone line, 833-422-4255.

Californians may also check their local Rite Aid or CVS pharmacies for available appointments in some counties. See if there is a Rite Aid or a CVS near you to check your availability and book an appointment.

If all else fails, we suggest calling or emailing your county's public health department.

Find your area's coronavirus website here.

Calling all volunteers

Another possible avenue to gaining vaccine eligibility presented itself this month when officials announced that volunteers at vaccination clinics could gain access to shots.

Volunteers who work a four-hour shift could get an opportunity to move up the vaccine eligibility ladder with permission from a clinic administrator, Dave Smith of California Volunteers said Friday at a Community Vaccine Advisory Committee meeting.

Sign up on My Turn Volunteer to see if there are any opportunities to volunteer in your area.

What happens after I get vaccinated?

Even after receiving both doses of a Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or one dose of Johnson & Johnson, public health officials still urge the public to wear a mask and practice social distancing. That's because, although the vaccine may prevent serious disease, those who are vaccinated could still carry virus particles that could infect others who are not vaccinated.

"If the vaccine only prevents disease, and the person can still get infected, that means they're capable of spreading COVID-19 to other people, even though they won't get sick," Dr. Timothy Brewer told Patch in a previous interview. Brewer is a professor of infectious diseases at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles.

"In fact, an important thing for everyone to remember is that we don't actually know if vaccines prevent infection," he said. "We know they're very good at preventing disease. And there's a difference between the two."

Can I gather with others who have been vaccinated?

In terms of returning to our social circles, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top infectious disease expert in the United States offered a glimmer of hope.

At a press conference, Fauci confirmed that small gatherings between those who are "doubly" vaccinated — those who receive both shots of Moderna and Pfizer — would be safe.

"Small gatherings in the home, I think you can clearly feel the relative risk is so low you wouldn’t have to wear the mask," Fauci said. "You could have a good social gathering within the home."

How do Californians feel about the vaccine?

A poll released last month from Emerson College and Nexstar Media showed that 47 percent of Californians participating in the study said they planned to be vaccinated as soon as they are able — 20 percent said they had already been inoculated.

Another 13 percent said they would wait on getting the vaccine and 21 percent said they want the coronavirus vaccine. Among Republicans, some 47 percent said they did not plan on being vaccinated.

Read the full poll here.

California's coronavirus data as of Wednesday

• 3,622,427 total confirmed cases have been reported to date.
• 2,126 new cases were reported Tuesday.
• 1.5% is the 7-day positivity rate.
• 58,202,413+ tests have been conducted in California.
• 59,890 COVID-19 deaths have been reported since the start of the pandemic.
  
• 26,454,819 vaccine doses have been administered statewide.

Information about variants tracked in the Golden State can be found here.

Read more about California's vaccine rollout from Patch:

• 5 CA Variant, Vaccine Questions: What You Need To Know
  
• 1 Year With Coronavirus In CA: 'A Moment In Time' Becomes An Eon
  
• CA Incentivizes Venues To Ask For Proof Of Vaccination
  
• New CA Law: Coronavirus Rehire Rights Required For Some
  
• CA Reaches Another Milestone: 1 In 4 Adults Fully Vaccinated