'Astonishing': San Mateo Co. Officials Mad About Vaccine Supply

SAN MATEO COUNTY, CA — Despite making progress on vaccinations, San Mateo County officials voiced displeasure with a decrease in supply of COVID-19 vaccine from the state during a Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday.

The county received 11,180 doses last week, down from 11,650 the week before. It has seen its vaccine supply decrease by about a third “over a number of weeks,” according to Louise Rogers, chief of San Mateo County Health.

More than 63 percent of eligible residents in the county were vaccinated as of Tuesday. David Canepa, president of the Board of Supervisors, argued that the state was penalizing the county for its success.

Canepa yesterday tried using MyTurn, the state’s vaccination appointment system, but couldn’t find a vaccine slot, he said. The county’s mass vaccination sites at San Francisco International Airport and the San Mateo County Event Center did not operate last week.

Canepa complained that neighboring Santa Clara County, which saw an increase in vaccine allocation, was able to give out 12,000 doses in a single day at Levi’s Stadium last week, while San Mateo County received fewer than that amount over the course of an entire week.

“That’s astonishing to me that they can have a mass vax site at one location, have all these community walk-ups, and our dosage is 11,000. I don’t understand,” Canepa said. “My issue is I do not believe that we are getting the allotment we deserve.”

For her part, Rogers didn’t believe the county was being unfairly treated. San Mateo County’s supply was proportional to its population compared with the allocations given to San Francisco and Santa Clara counties, she said.

Officials also blamed the state’s partnership with Blue Shield, a third party that has taken over vaccination rollout, for creating confusion.

“I think we are being overlooked in some way,” County Manager Mike Callagy said. “I don’t think this move to Blue Shield has helped in the way they imagined it would. We still have no insight week over week into how many doses. It impacts our planning. I don’t think it’s been very helpful to date.”

The county is hopeful, however, for an increase in supply. It received 31,000 doses this week, nearly three times that of last week's allocation.

Dr. Anand Chabra, San Mateo County Health COVID-19 mass vaccination section chief, said Blue Shield projects the county's vaccine supply could triple by the end of June.

"Those projections are helpful," Chabra said. "Even though we recognize they can always change, at least it gives us something to work with in terms of planning."

Rogers added that when the county receives an increase in allotment, the mass vaccination sites will come back. “We have not dropped the ball in planning these mass vax events,” Roger said. “We are ready — the moment they give us the heads up that we’re getting more vaccine.”

Bay City News contributed to this report.

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