The Single Shot COVID-19 Vaccine Is Coming Soon. How Many Doses Will LA County Get?
By Nick Roman and Megan Nguyen
Published Feb 27, 2021 8:10 AM
Empty vials that contained a dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine against the COVID-19 coronavirus lie on a table at a South African hospital this month. (Phill Magakoe / AFP Getty Images)
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Federal approval of the single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine came today weekend — and Gov. Gavin Newsom is saying California could get as many as 380,000 of those doses as soon as next week.
Excellent news. CA is expecting around 380,000 doses to arrive as early as this week. https://t.co/JzoEyzsoKU
So how many will come to L.A. County — the largest county in the state? We asked L.A. County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer when we spoke with her Friday. She said since L.A. County is a quarter of California's population, the county will likely get a quarter of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine doses.
“There's a more complex algorithm that the state uses to determine what the doses are for the county. But we're assuming that given that it's close to 400,000 doses that we could get anywhere between 80,000 and 100,000 doses"
But Ferrer says she'll welcome whatever L.A. County gets.
"It couldn't come at a better time,” she said, “because we're expanding eligibility for a lot of workers who are desperate to get vaccinated."
Starting Monday, the county will add teachers, school staff, child care workers, more food and agriculture workers, and more emergency workers to the list of people eligible for a vaccine. People eligible may start making appointments now.
There's not enough available yet to get shots to everybody. That means even if you are eligible, you'll get an appointment but the shot itself might be weeks away. Remember to bring a valid ID when you do get the shot and proof that you live or work in L.A. County. Officials said a work badge or a pay stub with an address will be accepted.
Fentanyl and other drugs fuel record deaths among people experiencing homelessness in L.A. County. From 2019 to 2021, deaths jumped 70% to more than 2,200 in a single year.
