Wine Country Times

Sonoma County officials expect that they will have the capacity to vaccinate up to 2,000 individuals daily in the coming weeks as more clinics open their doors, but this does not include vaccinations currently occurring in medical settings, a county press release stated.

There may be challenges ahead for Sonoma County’s efforts to vaccinate residents against COVID-19, but by late January, the county had five vaccination clinics up and running, and plans for two more to open. Vaccinations are also underway at Kaiser, Sutter and St. Joseph hospitals, federally qualified health centers, and a variety of CVS and Walgreens pharmacies (which provide vaccinations for skilled nursing and residential care facilities) through the federal Pharmacy Partnership for Long-Term Care Program.

The county is looking for commitment from all sectors of the community – healthcare, education, business, labor, nonprofit groups and even agriculture – which will play a role in protecting the community from this disease.

"Most of all we need a community commitment to being patient as we distribute vaccines in the most equitable way possible, making sure that those most vulnerable and most at-risk are vaccinated first," said Lynda Hopkins, chair of the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors. "We are partnering with our health care providers to distribute the vaccines as quickly as possible, but we are limited by how many vaccines we receive here in Sonoma County. We are going to continue to move quickly and safely through the different phases of the plan, but we are all going to need to be patient until it is our turn."

Individuals who are classified in Phase 1a Tiers 2 and 3 are now eligible for vaccination. Some of those individuals include specialty clinic staff, laboratory workers and dental clinic staff. The county could be ready to vaccinate individuals in Phase 1b Tier one in February, and that includes individuals over the age of six, teachers and childcare providers, emergency service workers, food and agriculture workers, said Dr. Sundari Mase, health officer for Sonoma County.

"With Phase 1b, we will eventually distribute the vaccine to a much larger population of essential workers and vulnerable adults. But we are going to need a greater allotment of vaccines," Mase said. "It will take a historic effort to scale up the vaccination rollout, and we are working with many partner organizations and volunteer vaccinators on this monumental task."

Visit SoCoEmegency.org/vaccine to learn about the latest vaccination rates, eligibility and how to get a vaccination. Another option is to call 2-1-1.