San Mateo County Shifts Vaccine Focus To Communities In Need

SAN MATEO COUNTY, CA — San Mateo County is shifting its COVID-19 vaccination focus away from large-scale mass vaccination sites and instead towards smaller clinics to serve communities in need.

In a news release on Wednesday, county officials said that the decision was based on lack of vaccine supply and uncertainty over when it would increase. Vaccination events will be held in East Palo Alto, South San Francisco, Belle Haven and North Fair Oaks this week. The county has fully vaccinated nearly 220,000 people as of Wednesday, or roughly a third of its population over the age of 16.

But, like in many parts of the country, San Mateo County faces inequities in vaccine distribution based on location. While communities like Atherton have vaccinated nearly two-thirds of eligible residents, nearby East Palo Alto — which has been hit hard by the virus and is home to many essential workers and communities of color — has vaccinated less than a fifth of its residents.

Earlier this month, county leaders called on the most affected areas like East Palo Alto to have greater access to the vaccine.

“Census tract data shows us exactly which neighborhoods are being impacted most by COVID,” Board of Supervisors President David Canepa said in a news release. “That’s why we are laser focusing our vaccination efforts by providing clinics in highly impacted ZIP codes to get more doses in arms right in the neighborhood you live in and the language you speak.”

The county currently has mass vaccination sites at the San Mateo County Event Center and San Francisco International Airport, which have vaccinated between 3,000 and 4,000 residents per day. The smaller, targeted sites will not return the same vaccination rates as the larger sites, but County Supervisor Warren Slocum said that it is a necessary decision to ensure equity.

“The County’s priority, especially through an equity lens, is to vaccinate every resident when they are eligible, and that means we need to bring the fight to where the battle is,” Slocum said.

Sign up for the San Mateo County’s notification tool as well as the state’s MyTurn to be informed of vaccination opportunities when eligible.