San Francisco officials announced new rules which would allow more people, including those with HIV and disabled residents, to get administered with the coronavirus vaccine beginning on Monday.
There are nearly 4.4 million California residents who fit under the new eligibility, many of whom are essential workers, people who work or live in jails, homeless shelters, and other congregate areas, and people with disabilities and health conditions.
San Francisco Vaccinations
City officials opted to include more people in their vaccination eligibility to cover developmental, medical, physical, sensory, or behavioral health disabilities, such as people with severe mental health or substance use disorders.
“Getting vaccinations to people with disabilities and who have severe underlying conditions, and people who are in congregate settings, is an important part of our efforts to save lives and protect our most vulnerable residents,” San Francisco City Mayor London Breed said.
However, despite the expansion of the eligibility for the vaccine, the city’s dose supply remains low, Breed said. About 27% of San Francisco’s residents have been administered with at least their first shot of the COVID-19 vaccine so far.
While officials do not require eligible residents to provide documentation before getting vaccinated, they must still sign a self-attestation that they fall under the requirements, the California Public Health Department said.
Health care providers reported that as of Sunday, they had administered nearly 11.8 million vaccine doses across California, the public health department said, the Associated Press reported.
California officials have a broader vaccination improvement plan to increase the number of vaccinations across the state. Authorities are optimistic they could move about 90% of the population out of the most restrictive tier by Wednesday.
