San Francisco City Mayor London Breed said on Thursday about 80% of the city’s residents who are older than 16 years could get their first dose of the coronavirus vaccine by mid-May.
The announcement brings the number of eligible people for the COVID-19 vaccine higher than the previous 46% who have already received their first shots. However, Breed said the expansion of eligibility would only be possible if they receive a steady supply of vaccine doses in the next few weeks.
COVID-19 Vaccine Supply
Since Thursday, residents aged 50 or above were eligible to receive their vaccine shots. Many people aged 50 to 64 have been scurrying to get an appointment to get inoculated.
“We should be proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish in San Francisco. But we also have to remind ourselves that this is not over,” Breed said as people slowly entered the Moscone Center South vaccination site on Thursday.
In the last week, San Francisco officials recorded an increase of 20% in the number of coronavirus infections. Breed said the city’s reopening process could be at risk if the number of coronavirus cases continues to rise.
However, the city mayor was optimistic that vaccinations and health and safety guidelines would be able to stall the spread of the virus. Officials have been successful in supporting the region as more than 80% of residents aged 65 or older have received their first coronavirus shots., while 62% of all seniors have received both doses of the vaccine.
Experts doubt Breed’s goal of vaccinating at least 80% of San Franciscans would come to fruition, especially since the supply of the treatment could be hampered within the next few weeks, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
On Thursday, a City College vaccination site in San Francisco was forced to close down due to the lack of coronavirus vaccine supply. The city’s COVID Command Center said the vaccine supply was inconsistent. Authorities warned of the difficulties in getting vaccine appointments for the next weeks.
