Napa County Sets 'Aggressive' Goal To Vaccinate 10K A Week
NAPA COUNTY, CA — Napa County received an additional allocation of 4,400 COVID-19 vaccination doses from the state as part of its goal to deliver 10,000 doses a week to those who live and work in the community.
County leadership has identified this vaccination effort as its No. 1 priority behind life safety for the next several months and is redirecting county staff from across a number of departments to help support it, county officials said Friday in a news release.
"We have set an aggressive goal for ourselves," said Napa County Board Chair Alfredo Pedroza.
Local jurisdictions from within the county and community groups are also bringing resources to bear in this effort.
"I'm confident that with the continued help of our dedicated volunteers and local healthcare partners, especially St. Helena Hospital, that we can deliver on this goal if vaccine allocations continue," Pedroza said. "On behalf of the County, I’d like to thank our State leadership, including Senator Bill Dodd and Assembly Member Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, for their roles in helping us secure these additional doses so we can carry on with the work we are doing to bring back the health and vitality of our community."
State guidelines recently expanded access to COVID-19 vaccinations to include people 65 and older, and the county is "moving swiftly through COVID-19 vaccination Phase 1a and its tiers," which includes health care workers and residents of assisted living facilities.
As this phase nears completion, Napa County has been scheduling appointments for people in Phase 1b, including those 75 and older.
Those 65-74 will be the next group prioritized to receive the vaccine.
Other systems, including Kaiser and pharmacies like CVS, Walgreens and Safeway are also expected to expand access to vaccine appointments to their older patients in Napa County in the coming weeks, county officials said.
The county has also created an online Phase 1 COVID-19 Vaccine Interest Form which allows those remaining in Phase 1B to express their interest, identify their eligibility, and provide their contact information to the county. Those who submitted a form will be contacted by the county as eligibility expands and vaccination supplies allow.
"We are looking forward to the time when vaccines are plentiful, just like flu vaccines are now," said Napa County Public Health Officer Dr. Karen Relucio. "However, until that time, we will continue to prioritize within the guidelines set by the State as vaccine supply allows. Our overarching tenet as we continue to expand the pace and scale of our local vaccination efforts is to follow the prioritization categories."
No one will ever be asked to pay out of pocket for vaccines or a "slot" on a waiting list, county officials said, directing residents to the county website as the "official source for vaccine-related information in Napa County" that will be updated to reflect which community members are currently eligible to receive the vaccine, based on availability from the state.
For those needing assistance, help is available in both Spanish and English from the county’s call center at 707-253-4540.
This article originally appeared on the Napa Valley Patch
