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California Expands Vaccine Eligibility To Residents Ages 16 And Up Tomorrow
Nurses prepare doses of vaccine to protect against Covid-19 at a drive-through vaccination clinic in a parking structure at Cal State Long Beach.
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Sharon McNary/LAist
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Tomorrow, California will expand vaccine eligibility to everyone ages 16 and up. In L.A. County, that includes about three-and-a-half million additional people.
The expansion comes as the county has paused use of the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine, over concerns of blood clots.
There were 19,000 appointments for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine that had to be cancelled this week, but L.A. County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer says 14,000 have already been rescheduled for Pfizer or Moderna shots.
The pause will cause a slow-down for mobile vaccination clinics, though, which are meant to help vulnerable communities, including the unhoused.
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"If you're a mobile team, it's not easy for you to always go back to vaccinate folks for their second doses, especially in the pop-up events,” said Ferrer.
In the meantime, over 70% of the county's remaining vaccine stock will be distributed to providers in hard-hit communities. L.A. County will not resume use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine until getting the green light from the F.D.A. and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Ferrer added that while coronavirus numbers are relatively low in L.A. County, residents should not expect to move into the least restrictive yellow tier of reopening until at least May 4.
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