Santa Clara County Residents 65 and Older Now Eligible for COVID-19 Vaccine - NBC Bay Area

Santa Clara County residents 65 years and older are now eligible to get vaccinated, county officials announced Tuesday.

Residents in that age range can now schedule appointments through the county website for openings starting on Wednesday and thereafter.

The expanded eligibility follows the state's current guidance for vaccine allocation.

"Older residents and those living in skilled nursing facilities continue to be the population at greatest risk for serious illness and death from COVID-19," said Dr. Monika Roy, county assistant public health officer.

As of Monday, more than 160,300 individuals have been vaccinated in Santa Clara County by the county, private health care providers and other vaccine distributers.

The county's health system is the largest provider of the COVID-19 vaccine, county officials said. So far, it has administered nearly 60,000 first doses and has a weekly capacity to provide 30,000 vaccine appointments per week.

Residents can make appointments at mass vaccination sites located at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds, Berger Drive in San Jose and the Mountain View Community Center.

The county is also vaccinating eligible individuals at several Valley Health Center locations, including up to 600 people per day in Gilroy, according to the county's Public Health Department.

"As the vaccine becomes available to more of our residents, the County continues its deep commitment to equity and ensuring access for our communities most at risk of contracting COVID-19," said Dr. Jennifer Tong, associate chief medical officer for the County of Santa Clara Health System.

The county is also partnering with community clinics and launched a pilot mobile vaccination clinic to ensure vaccine access to residents and staff of long-term care facilities.

"We are coordinating efforts with local fire departments and emergency medical services providers and sending vaccinators into the field to ensure those at greatest risk can be vaccinated as quickly as possible," Roy said.

County officials say the ability to expand vaccine eligibility is dependent on vaccine supply.

This week, the county received 20,125 additional first doses of vaccine, which is "far fewer doses than health systems in the county have capacity to provide," according to the county public health department.

Residents can get more information about vaccine allocation and administration by health care providers on the county's COVID-19 vaccine dashboard.

To view the latest updates on vaccine eligibility or schedule a vaccination appointment, people can visit sccfreevax.org.

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