NEWS

Eligibility requirements for vaccination groups

A COVID-19 vaccine is administered at the Vaccination Super Station at Petco Park. (County of San Diego Communications Office)

Eligibility requirements for vaccination groups

By Katie Cadiao
County of San Diego Communications Office

San Diegans who work in emergency services, child care and education, food handling and agriculture can sign up for COVID-19 vaccination appointments. Those making appointments will be required to show a photo ID and proof of eligibility. Vaccine supplies are still limited, so patience is required over the next several weeks.

Eligibility documents vary for the respective sectors but include a pay stub or timesheet issued within the last 90 days, an employee ID card, or a letter from the employer.

Each of the newly-eligible sectors includes a wide variety of occupations and there are employer-coordinated vaccination plans in place for certain subsets of those groups.

For example, law enforcement officers will have their vaccination appointments coordinated by Scripps Health, regardless of their insurance carrier. Education staff working in TK through 12th grade who are covered by California Schools VEBA, must use vebavaccinates.com and should not show up at any vaccination site prior to an appointment confirmed through VEBA. Education staff working at childcare facilities or institutions of higher education should make appointments at any County Point of Distribution (POD), Super Station or other vaccination location.

Those not covered by specific vaccination plans for their occupation should contact their primary care doctor or schedule an appointment at vaccinationsuperstationsd.com. Appointments are required at County-operated sites and people will not be able to obtain the vaccination without a confirmed appointment.

“We are asking anyone trying to make a vaccination appointment for patience,” said Wilma J. Wooten, M.D., M.P.H., County public health officer. “The tier that is opening tomorrow includes half a million people and not everyone will be able to get an immediate appointment this weekend. More time slots will continuously be released as additional vaccine doses arrive in the region.”

Vaccination site updates
A new appointment-only vaccination site opens on Sunday at the Copley-Price YMCA located at 4300 El Cajon Boulevard in City Heights. The walk-up clinic is open Tuesday to Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and on Saturdays from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Due to a national shortage of Moderna vaccine, the UC San Diego Super Station at Petco Park will be closed from Saturday, Feb. 27 through Tuesday, March 2. People with appointments will be notified via MyChart.

Vaccination progress
To date, more than 938,000 COVID-19 doses have been delivered to the region with close to 833,000 administered. The difference between the two numbers represents approximately what is expected to be administered the next seven days and doses still to be entered in the record system. More than 8,500 doses were administered and are pending full documentation.

Those vaccinated to date include nearly 233,000 San Diegans who are fully vaccinated, while more than one in five San Diegans over the age of 16 has received at least one dose.

Following a positive advisory committee meeting regarding the Johnson and Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Friday it would rapidly work toward finalization and issuance of an emergency use authorization for this vaccine. The County expects to receive an unknown quantity of the vaccine sometime next week.