People Ages 50+ Eligible For COVID-19 Vaccine In Contra Costa

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA — Anyone who is at least 50 years old and works or lives in Contra Costa County is now eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, the county announced Monday.

That's thanks to a recent increase in vaccine supply — the federal government has given the county additional doses for federally qualified health centers, Contra Costa Health Services said in a news release.

People need not have an underlying condition to receive the vaccine. More than 235,000 Contra Costa residents are between ages 50 and 64.

Nearly all COVID-19-related deaths in Contra Costa County have been among residents ages 50 and older, said Dr. Chris Farnitano, county health officer, in the news release. Older people are more likely to be vulnerable to COVID-19.

"We look forward to the coming months when we can do away with vaccine eligibility, when anyone and everyone is eligible," said Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors Chair Diane Burgis in the news release. "More and more doses of vaccine are coming into the county each week and we expect that trend to continue."

More than 336,000 residents have received at least one COVID-19 dose as of Monday, including more than nine in ten residents ages 75 and older.

The county said it will continue to expand vaccine eligibility as additional doses are received. Gov. Gavin Newsom said Friday that the state anticipates eliminating COVID-19 vaccine eligibility tiers in about five weeks.

Request a vaccine appointment here or by calling 833-829-2626. Find a list of eligible residents here.

For more news and information about the vaccine rollout in California, visit Patch's information hub. Also, be sure to check out How To Get The Coronavirus Vaccine In California.