Sonoma County Reaches 100K Vaccine Milestone

SONOMA COUNTY, CA — Sonoma County has now administered 100,000 doses of the coronavirus vaccine, county officials said Friday.

Thanks to a multi-agency effort over the past two months, more than one in five residents over the age of 16 have received at least one dose, the county said.

Also on Friday, Sonoma County supervisors and public health officials announced that county residents 65 and older will become eligible Monday to receive vaccinations at county-supported clinics.

"We now believe we are at a point where we can open vaccinations up to the wider group of 65 and older, but I want to make clear that this is a very large group so getting an appointment is going to be a challenge for a while. Please be patient," said Dr. Sundari Mase, Sonoma County health officer.

Essential food workers, including food manufacturing, grocery store and restaurant workers, also become eligible Monday.

In addition, teachers and child care workers are being vaccinated by invitation at a clinic through the Sonoma County Office of Education. Agriculture workers are being vaccinated at various clinics through their employers.

The changes in prioritization bring Sonoma County in alignment with California Department of Public Health guidelines for COVID-19 vaccination distribution for those in Phase 1b, Tier 1 of the state Vaccine Distribution Plan.

107,807 Vaccines Administered To Sonoma County Residents

Sonoma County as of Friday has vaccinated 85,889 residents and provided 107,807 doses —53,314 Moderna and 54,493 Pfizer— which represents more than 20 percent of eligible county residents, according to a news release from the county.

More than 20 clinics have been activated, all supported by the county's allotment of vaccines and managed by local providers including federally qualified health centers. The county’s hospital partners including Kaiser Permanente, Sutter Health and St. Joseph Health, Northern California have also provided tens of thousands of vaccines.

"This has been a true community-wide effort, and we are very thankful for the partnership of so many of our local health care providers to reach this milestone," County Supervisor Lynda Hopkins said.

"We still have a long way to go, but thanks to the progress and collaboration we are achieving at the local level, it’s clear that we are on the right track," Hopkins said. "The issue going forward will be supply. Thanks to all of these community efforts, we have a great system in place, but we have the ability to do three times more vaccinations than we are doing now. We just need more vaccines."

Vaccines were rolled out first to residents 75 and older, an age group that makes up 10 percent of the county's population but represents two-thirds of coronavirus-related deaths in the county.

The county shifted to those 70 and older on Feb. 8 when more than 40 percent of residents 75 and older were vaccinated.

According to the latest data, more than 42 percent of residents 70-74 have now received at least one dose, while nearly 60 percent of residents 75 and older have received either one or two doses.

"Meanwhile, we understand and support the decision by some health care providers to continue prioritizing those 75 and older for now," Mase said. "These are residents who are most at risk of the worst outcomes of the virus, and we also are going to continue our efforts to reach out to our oldest residents and help them to get appointments."

The county encourages vaccine-eligible residents who have medical insurance to first seek a vaccination appointment with their primary health care provider.

Complete information about vaccination sites is posted at SoCoEmergency.org/vaccine. Sonoma County residents can also call 211.