50-plus in California? You’re vaccine-eligible April 1. What Sacramento-area residents need to know

Starting Thursday, Californians 50 and older will be eligible to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

Supplies are still limited and California health officials say a fully vaccinated Golden State is still months away, but they say they are opening up eligibility based on expected increases in supply.

If you’re 50 and older, here’s what you want and need to know:

When can I schedule an appointment?

If you are a Sacramento County resident 50 and older, you can begin making appointments Thursday on the county’s website. Appointments are required to be vaccinated in Sacramento County and are first come, first served. County health officials caution that vaccine supply remains very limited. Supply concerns may mean some people now eligible for the vaccine as of Thursday may have to wait until Friday to set up their appointments.

Natomas Unified School District’s COVID-19 vaccination site, Natomas High School in Sacramento, is allowing prescheduling on the district’s website ahead of Thursday’s eligibility date.

For now, people can make appointments on the county’s website, as well as the state’s MyTurn appointment website.

But that is expected to change in the next few weeks, Sacramento County Public Health Officer Dr. Olivia Kasirye said Tuesday. California is asking counties to begin linking people to the state’s MyTurn vaccine appointment system as the state works to consolidate the system under Blue Shield.

Kasirye said she does not know when Sacramento County will begin sending people to the MyTurn site for their appointments, but expects that transition to happen in a few weeks.

Some health network members will also have to wait until at least Thursday’s eligibility date.

Kaiser Permanente members won’t be able to preschedule their appointments: “We are reaching out to members 50+ through ... text, email, phone call and/or hard copy letter — letting our members know when and how they can schedule an appointment for vaccination,” Kaiser officials said in a statement.

Sutter Health officials “plan to notify all our patients later this week about expanded eligibility,” Sutter spokeswoman Liz Madison said Tuesday.

Sutter Health also will post updated eligibility information on its website with instructions on how to book an appointment for a COVID-19 vaccination.

Dignity Health is steering its patients to the state’s MyTurn appointment website and says its primary care facilities have extended its hours to evenings and weekends to meet vaccination demand. UC Davis Health will notify their members when they will be able to book an appointment via email and the My UC Davis Health website.

How soon will residents be able to get a vaccine?

Sacramento County health officials can only schedule appointments one week in advance because the bookings are based on the state’s weekly allocation of vaccines.

Sacramento County has seen a moderate increase in doses in the last two weeks, Kasirye said, but officials don’t yet know how many doses will be available for next week.

That means the county and its dozens of clinical partners haven’t yet determined what clinics, pop-up sites and doses might be available for the group that is eligible beginning Thursday, Kasirye said.

And, with Wednesday’s Cesar Chavez Day holiday, health officials may not receive word on next week’s shipment until Thursday.

Sutter officials say the health network is capable of vaccinating 25,000 patients a day across Northern California, but its ability to schedule appointments depends on how many vaccine doses the health provider receives.

What about walk-thru and drive-thru sites?

At McClellan Park, a drive-thru site is in the parking lot next to a building at 3144 Palm St. Appointments are required.

A drive-thru site is also at Natomas High School, 3301 Fong Ranch Road. Make an appointment online or call 916-561-5253, 8 a.m.-11 a.m. Mondays. Appointment required.

California Northstate University, 9700 W. Taron Drive in Elk Grove, is also a walk-thru site. Appointments required.

Retail pharmacies also dispense vaccinations. Check your local CVS, Rite Aid, Safeway and Walgreens locations.

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