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California Gov. Gavin Newsom received the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine on the first day of eligibility for Californians 50 and over — Newsom is 53 years old. The event took place at the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza mall, where others were lined up to get their own shots.
You can watch video of Newsom's vaccination and the subsequent press conference above, or read highlights below.
NEWSOM GETS JOHNSON & JOHNSON VACCINE
Newsom received the vaccination from his own health secretary, Dr. Mark Ghaly. Newsom left for the 15-minute post-vaccination observation period, and was set to speak with the press afterward.
Newsom noted that all Californians 16 and over will be eligible for the vaccine in two weeks: April 15. He said that his wife, who is under 50, is waiting to be eligible in two weeks.
The governor said that the state is still facing constraints due to vaccine supply — while California administered more than 2-and-a-half million doses last week, just 2.4 million doses are coming next week. Meanwhile, the state has the capacity to administer 5 million doses per week, Newsom said.
It shouldn't be more than a few months before the state reaches herd immunity, Newsom said. There have been more than 18 million vaccine doses given in California so far.
Newsom addressed the apparent manufacturing issue with 15 million Johnson & Johnson vaccination doses from a Baltimore plant. The news hasn't affected the state's three-week projected supply of Johnson & Johnson, though Newsom did note that the state was already expecting to receive less than half as many doses in the two weeks following next week. Beyond that, the impact is an open question, Newsom said.
The governor praised the Biden administration's infrastructure plan as a once-in-a-generation opportunity.
CITY OF LOS ANGELES TAKING OVER CAL STATE VAX SITE
Newsom was joined by local officials, including L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti. He praised Newsom for his regular visits to Southern California. Garcetti talked about the city starting to open up as vaccinations increase, including recently going to a mall himself to get his wife's iPhone fixed.
Garcetti said that the city's COVID-19 positivity rate is now 1.4%, the lowest since April 2020. (The state's overall positivity is 1.9%, Newsom later noted.) Garcetti also addressed people of color and those in low-income communities being more likely to die of COVID-19, along with the city's efforts to get these communities vaccinated.
Garcetti announced that the city is taking over operation of the Cal State L.A. vaccination location, with the federal government and state turning over that operation. L.A. County Supervisor Holly Mitchell also spoke, thanking the governor for coming and getting vaccinated in the community.
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