People aged 65 and older and those with serious underlying health conditions in Los Angeles and across California could quickly become eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine, with federal officials urging states to more widely distribute the shots.
Dr. Mark Ghaly, the state’s Health and Human Services secretary, said the change could be implemented within 24 hours. He said California’s vaccine advisory committee and a prioritization guidelines workgroup are already reviewing guidelines.
“Those communications have already begun and will go throughout the day so we can evaluate the new federal guidance, determine how it’s going to impact what we do here in California and—with haste, without delay—getting updated guidance out,” Ghaly said. “(I) expect that will come in the next 24 hours or so, so we can let all Californians benefit.”
Acting under recommendations initially developed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, states have given top priority to frontline health care workers to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
Gov. Gavin Newsom said this week the state has only administered about one-third of the nearly 2.5 million vaccine doses it has received so far. Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said it would likely take until the end of January to finish vaccinating all health care workers listed in Phase 1A of the priority list.
Ferrer said the county hopes to begin the top priority tier of Phase 1B—people aged 75 and over and select essential workers, such as those in education, child care, emergency services and food and agriculture—in early February.
Younger residents with serious underlying health conditions would not be eligible until Phase 1C, which Ferrer said would likely not begin until late March.
