A fresh influx of COVID-19 vaccines delivered to Santa Clara County just this morning has spurred a rapid increase in the amount of vaccine appointments, to the tune of tens of thousands of newly booked slots, with more vaccines on the way next week. Effective today, any person living or working in the county who’s age 16 or older is eligible for vaccination, and can book an appointment at www.sccfreevax.org.
The increase can be traced to the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA), a federal body piping supplies directly into the County of Santa Clara Health System.
Said County of Santa Clara Testing and Vaccine Officer Dr. Marty Fenstersheib in a statement, “Vaccines are the County’s number one priority and they will save lives. After many weeks of supply challenges, we will be able to offer vaccination to those at greatest risk and ensure broad coverage for our entire community.”
In the meantime, in accordance with CDC and FDA recommendations to pause the Johnson & Johnson vaccine due to potentially adverse reactions, that vaccine will not be available for now in Santa Clara County. In the statement, it read, “The County anticipates being able to cover all scheduled appointments with the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines. The County has also advised its vaccinating partners to pause administration of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine pending further direction from the CDC, FDA, and California Department of Public Health.”
Six patients out of the 7 million in the U.S. who have received the Johnson & Johnson shot have experienced complications to date — less than 1 in a million. As of now, 60,000 Santa Clara County residents (or 5% of the county’s population) have received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine option.
