FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 14, 2021
Vaccinations Ramping Up Countywide; 43.7% of Population 65 and Older Have Received At Least One Dose
Santa Clara County, CA The County of Santa Clara announced today that more than half of county residents age 75 and older have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Vaccine data from the California Department of Public Health’s California Immunization Registry (CAIR2) also show that 43.7% of county residents age 65 and older have received at least one dose of the vaccine, with 232,761 total residents now partially or fully vaccinated. These data reflect strong progress towards the County’s goal of vaccinating at least 85% of residents age 16 or older by August 1, 2021. The data also continue to reflect the ongoing need to focus vaccination efforts on ensuring equitable access for those at greatest risk of serious illness and death, and those at greatest risk of exposure to COVID-19.
“It is heartening to see that as a county, we have made such great progress in vaccinating our older residents who are at very high risk of severe illness and death from COVID-19,” said Dr. Marty Fenstersheib, COVID-19 Testing and Vaccine Officer for the County of Santa Clara. “This historic effort is saving lives, but we must continue to accelerate our work to reach our entire community, with particular focus on the communities most impacted by COVID-19. In addition, we need sufficient vaccine supply from the state and federal government to achieve our goal of widespread community protection.”
The County’s multi-faceted strategy to deliver vaccine rapidly and equitably includes large-scale vaccination sites located in communities across the county, community-based no-appointment “pop-up” vaccine clinics targeting areas of the county hardest hit by COVID-19, and intensive multi-lingual community outreach.
Since early February, the County Health System and several other vaccine providers throughout the county have been providing COVID-19 vaccines to any county resident age 65 and older, regardless of their healthcare provider or insurance.
The County’s website at sccfreevax.org provides information and links for making vaccine appointments with providers across the county. Residents without internet access or who need additional assistance can call 211 for assistance in multiple languages. Appointments are filling up quickly, but new appointments will be regularly released as vaccine supply allows.
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