Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
California Expands Vaccine Access To Everyone 65 And Older, But LA County Isn't Ready

California's Department of Public Health is expanding access to the COVID-19 vaccines to everyone aged 65 and older, allowing the age group to skip ahead in the eligibility queue. But Los Angeles County won’t be expanding access just yet.
Gov. Gavin Newsom's move puts seniors ahead of first responders, teachers, childcare providers and food and agriculture workers, who are slated to receive vaccines after health care workers and nursing home residents.
In a statement, the governor said:
“There is no higher priority than efficiently and equitably distributing these vaccines as quickly as possible to those who face the gravest consequences.”
So far, some 200,000 health care workers and nursing home residents have gotten vaccinated, Ferrer said.
"I know how frustrating it must seem now to folks here in L..A County," she said.
Ferrer said the county has asked the state for more vaccines, so that it can expand to the 65+ age group sooner, but has not yet heard back.
She expressed hope that by next week “we'll be able to enroll many more providers and many more pharmacies [in the vaccination effort], so that they can start in advance booking those appointments” for seniors.
The state plans to roll out a new email/text notification system next week to let people know when they're eligible to receive a vaccine, Gov. Newsom said.
Efforts are ramping up to create mass vaccination sites across the state, including at Dodger Stadium and Disneyland. Newsom said more stadiums and convention fairgrounds will also be converted into vaccination sites.
The change in California's vaccination plan comes a day after the CDC recommended it to help speed up the inoculation process, which has been criticized as moving too slowly. The federal government has also promised to increase vaccine supply to the states.
READ MORE ABOUT LOCAL VACCINATION PLANS:
- A Million People In 10 Days? California Wants To Boost The COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout
- Your No-Panic Guide To The COVID-19 Vaccines: Are They Safe, And When Can I Get Mine?
Our news is free on LAist. To make sure you get our coverage: Sign up for our daily newsletters. To support our non-profit public service journalism: Donate Now.
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.

-
With less to prove than LA, the city is becoming a center of impressive culinary creativity.
-
Nearly 470 sections of guardrailing were stolen in the last fiscal year in L.A. and Ventura counties.
-
Monarch butterflies are on a path to extinction, but there is a way to support them — and maybe see them in your own yard — by planting milkweed.
-
With California voters facing a decision on redistricting this November, Surf City is poised to join the brewing battle over Congressional voting districts.
-
The drug dealer, the last of five defendants to plead guilty to federal charges linked to the 'Friends' actor’s death, will face a maximum sentence of 65 years in prison.
-
The weather’s been a little different lately, with humidity, isolated rain and wind gusts throughout much of Southern California. What’s causing the late-summer bout of gray?