Overall, more than 1.16 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been put into the arms of San Diegans.
So far, roughly 25% of San Diegans 16 and older, or more than 678,000 county residents, have now received at least one-dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Nearly 15% of people 16 and older in the region are fully vaccinated.
To accomplish this task, the county set up nearly 30 vaccination points of dispensing, or PODs, and super stations to administer COVID-19 vaccines.
County Supervisor Nathan Fletcher said the region continues to remain at the top of the state in the number of vaccinations administered.
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“Now almost 25% of San Diegans have received one dose and one shot,” he said. “But there are shortages. And the bulk of what is being honored right now are second dose appointments. We honor those first and then with what's left, we make first dose appointments available.”
After the county prioritized 20% of the its vaccine doses for teachers in late February, Fletcher sent out a tweet on Thursday saying first doses had been offered to all teachers and school staff in the county.
While many receive their shots at a county-run site, others have received their vaccine at pharmacies like CVS and Walgreens.
Retail pharmacies offer COVID-19 vaccine appointments that can be booked online, depending upon availability, as part of the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program.
CVS Health District Leader Lisa Kalajian said they have seen a surge in vaccination appointments, but the company is getting steady allotments of vaccines from the federal government.
“And at this point our goal is to expand,” Kalajian said. “We are ready, as a company, to deliver 20 to 25 million shots a month across our company. And we definitely have that infrastructure, over 10,000 locations, to be able to do so.”
How people get the vaccines is part of the problem, but who is getting the shots is part of the larger issue of vaccine equity. Supervisor Nora Vargas said that the county is trying to address that roadblock through different initiatives.
“The Promotora program, our 211 expansion, pilot walk-up sites, the no appointment South Bay Super Station at the Border View YMCA in Otay Mesa — I'm really proud to announce these programs have been successful and they are working,” she said.
Starting Monday, vaccine eligibility will expand again, this time to people aged 16 to 64 with underlying health conditions, subject to vaccine availability.
To book an appointment, check the county’s website or the website of pharmacies near you.
