Santa Clara County Celebrates One Million COVID Vaccinations

SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CA — Santa Clara County vaccinated its millionth resident for COVID-19 on Friday, with officials holding a news briefing to celebrate the milestone even as they acknowledged there is work to be done in ensuring the rest of the eligible population is inoculated.

Of the 1.6 million eligible residents in the county, 62 percent have received at least one dose and about a third are fully vaccinated. In contrast to just a few weeks ago, when vaccine supply was lacking and appointments were quickly snatched up, every vaccination site — from mass vaccination centers like Levi’s Stadium to smaller clinics — in the county had slots available as of Friday morning.

“You almost have to avoid getting a vaccine now,” County Supervisor Cindy Chavez said. “You gotta get in there.”

Dr. Marty Fenstersheib, the county’s testing and vaccine officer, said issues like vaccine hesitancy, lack of access and making sure people return for their second dose may hinder efforts to reach the remaining population.

“The first million is easy, and the next 500,000 is going to be a little tough,” Fenstersheib said. “We know that people are concerned about the effectiveness of the vaccine, the safety of the vaccine. They’ve been waiting but I say to them, ‘Wait no longer. Join the million of your community family, your neighbors, your friends and get vaccinated.’”

At the current rate, the county would vaccinate all eligible residents by the end of June, but Fenstersheib expects that it will take longer.

“The 40 percent left is going to be much more challenging,” Fenstersheib said.

The county is working to ensure equity in vaccinations through mobile sites and outreach in areas hardest hit by the pandemic like East San Jose and South County. Appointments are also available from early morning through after-work hours.

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Public Health Officer Dr. Sara Cody advised those who remain hesitant in being vaccinated to “ask a lot of questions, and then schedule your appointment.”

She added: “After so many long and difficult months, we can now see a very clear path out of this pandemic.”

Visit sccfreevax.org to access vaccination appointments.

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.