LAKE COUNTY— We have now given at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine to over one third of Lake County residents age 16 and older. That is incredible progress in three months’ time, and it has been a locally-driven effort we can all celebrate. We have already seen some business restrictions lifted, and are on our way back to a more normal life.
The Health Services Department’s vaccination efforts have progressed through different phases; indoor sites at the Senior Center in Clearlake and County Fairgrounds, and now drive-thru sites at each end of the lake. Local medical providers (especially Lake County Tribal Health Consortium, Sutter and Adventist) and some pharmacies have invaluably enhanced community efforts when vaccine supply allowed.
Through it all, we have been blessed with the support of volunteers, including retired doctors and nurses that have generously donated many hours. Chief Sapeta and his EMTs have been constant and outstanding partners. County employees across many departments have stepped up and answered the call. Temporary staff from Management Connections and the Lake Event Design have made extraordinary contributions, day after day.
All of these folks have shown up in the cold and wind and rain, with the sole focus of delivering strongly protective COVID-19 vaccines to Lake County communities. What an awesome gift to local residents and businesses!
Our dedicated Health Services Department staff have been truly remarkable; after more than a year of unprecedented demands, they are still forging creative solutions and promoting positive health outcomes in Lake County!
Now we are moving to a new chapter. The State has provided dozens of staff to help for the next 1-2 months. We have been asking for State support since the beginning, and now it is here. The timing is good, as local staffing has been stretched pretty thin; four clinics per week, seeing 500-1,000 patients a day, is a lot! But, as we have come to know all too well, Lake County residents rise up during times of need.
We want to express our deep gratitude for all of the people who have helped in the efforts to protect the community against COVID-19, this virus that has upended our lives and caused so much suffering. Lake County would have been in much worse shape if we had not seen such an amazing outpouring of support and willingness to pitch in. Thank you, thank you, thank you – to all that have contributed.
People age 50+ eligible to be vaccinated statewide 4/1, 16+ eligible 4/15
Last week, the State announced COVID-19 vaccine eligibility will be broadly extended in the coming weeks. Beginning with appointments scheduled for Thursday, anyone 50+ will be eligible, statewide. People age 16+ will be eligible as of Thursday, April 15.
With things opening up, it is probable large vaccination clinics will continue another one to two months. People should then be able to access vaccine through their pharmacies and medical providers in a timely manner.
Schedule Appointments at https://MyTurn.ca.gov – No Insurance Needed, No Out-of-Pocket Cost
We are partnering with the State to remove barriers and make a safe vaccine available to eligible County residents that want it. Visit https://MyTurn.ca.gov to register for an appointment. While insurance information is collected from those that have it, there is currently no out of pocket cost for anyone that gets vaccinated. No cost transportation options are also available through Lake Transit Authority: https://laketransit.org/topics/news/
If you do not have internet access, call the CA COVID-19 Hotline at 1-833-422-4255 (Monday through Friday 8 am to 8pm, Saturday-Sunday 8am to 5pm) for assistance with scheduling.
For more information, visit https://covid19.ca.gov/vaccines/ and http://health.co.lake.ca.us/Coronavirus/Vaccines.htm.
Concerned about vaccine safety?
Millions of Americans have been vaccinated to date, and all three approved vaccines are both safe and effective. No serious reactions have occurred at any of Public Health’s vaccination clinics. More safety information is available here:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/safety/safety-of-vaccines.html
—Dr Gary Pace, Lake County health officer
