California has the necessary supply to provide supplemental COVID-19 vaccine doses to everyone who's eligible, but a plan released by the state on Thursday indicates officials will need to significantly ramp up capacity in order to do so.
Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday unveiled the state’s "COVID-19 Vaccine Action Plan," which provides a roadmap for how California can immediately begin administering additional vaccine doses to eligible state residents in the aftermath of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday authorizing a third dose of the Pfizer vaccine to high-risk individuals and adults older than 65.
Shortly after California’s announcement, a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory panel recommended providing boosters to people 65 and older, nursing home residents, people aged 50-64 with underlying health risks and 18-49-year-olds with chronic health problems who want extra protection amid the delta variant's spread.
"We fully support our federal partners' determination to provide boosters," Newsom said Thursday in a statement, "and California has built the necessary infrastructure to mobilize such vaccine distribution – all to help protect the health and well-being of Californians."
Vaccinated people are eligible for a third shot of the Pfizer vaccine six months after their second dose under the FDA authorization, whereas the Biden administration in August announced a plan calling for an additional dose after eight months. California is prepared for either timeline, according to state officials, but six-month eligibility would require the state to ramp up capacity to much higher levels.
Providers in the state were providing about 79,000 doses per day as of a month ago, according to the state. The state has nearly 4.9 million fully vaccinated residents who are older than the age of 65 alone, many of whom had their second shot at least six months ago.
California peaked at about 417,000 doses per day in early April, and the state said it currently has the capacity to ramp up to about 427,000 doses per day without factoring in potential mass vaccination sites run by local health jurisdictions.
"CDPH is working with local partners and health care providers to ensure California is ready to immediately begin administering booster doses (to) eligible Californians once these recommendations have been made," California Public Health Officer Dr. Tomás J. Aragón said Thursday in a statement.
California's MyTurn website will soon be updated with a vaccine booster eligibility screener, and it will also text state residents once they become eligible.
Related
