When and where can I get my coronavirus vaccination in the Bay Area? – San Francisco Chronicle

Californias troubled vaccine rollout is starting to pick up a bit, with data showing 125,000 people being vaccinated a day.

On Monday, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the state would move to an age-based system for vaccinations in hopes of speeding up and simplifying the process. Currently, residents 65 and older and certain essential workers including educators, food and agricultural workers, and first responders may receive inoculations. Eligibility will shift to a system based on age groups starting in mid-February.

About 55% of the 4.7 million doses sent to California counties and health care providers so far have been administered, according to state data last updated Tuesday. The Biden administration said it is distributing 17% more vaccine next week as states have experienced severe shortages, and promised three weeks notice on vaccine shipments.

San Francisco opened its first mass vaccination site last Friday and said it wants to vaccinate all eligible residents by June, but theres still a long way to go. As of Tuesday, only 3.6% of San Franciscos population had received one dose of the vaccine.

One bottleneck was alleviated last week when California told health care providers it was safe to administer a large batch of Moderna vaccine doses that had been put on hold because of some allergic reactions at a San Diego vaccination site. Those 330,000 doses accounted for one-tenth of the states supply.

Despite the short-term boost, supply problems remain a concern. Meanwhile, the discovery of several new variants of the coronavirus that may spread more easily, including a mutation that took hold in the Bay Area in December, makes it even more urgent to fix the nations troubled vaccination rollout.

Local health departments are responsible for implementing the vaccine rollout, so Bay Area residents will need to check their own countys specific vaccination plans for details. Some counties have request forms that residents can fill out, and others direct people to speific health care providers to make appointments.

Heres what we know so far about when and where Bay Area residents can get their vaccines, plus answers to frequently asked questions. You can also stay up to date on the vaccine rollout across the state and country via The Chronicles Vaccine Tracker, and visit the California Department of Public Health vaccine website for more information.

County-by-county details and links:

San Francisco: The public health department and private providers including UCSF, Kaiser and Sutter helped open the citys first mass vaccination site, at City College, on Friday. Those eligible for a vaccine, such as health care workers and those 75 and older, will be contacted by their provider and invited to the site, which is appointment-only. The city also plans to have two other mass vaccination sites at Moscone Center in SoMa and The SF Market in Bayview up and running by Feb. 1. The health department also plans to administer vaccines at more than a dozen community clinics and at several pop-ups around the city. San Francisco residents can go to http://www.sf.gov/vaccinenotify and submit contact and eligibility information, and then be notified via email when its their turn to get vaccinated. Residents can also track distribution of vaccines through the citys online dashboard.

Alameda County: The county is currently vaccinating health care workers and residents of long-term care facilities, and will move on to individuals 65 and older and frontline essential workers soon. People can fill out this form to be notified when its their turn. Residents can track distribution of vaccines and learn more about elibility and distribution through the county and health providers through Alameda Countys online dashboard.

Contra Costa County: This online form currently allows health care workers and individuals 65 and older to request vaccination appointments. Residents can track doses administered and other data through the countys online dashboard.

Marin County: The county had started vaccinating some teachers but has changed course to prioritize by age; moving forward, it is vaccinating people 75 and older first. Residents can sign up here to be notified when they are eligible to receive shots. The county is tracking doses administered and other vaccination data on its online dashboard.

Napa County: Health care works, employees and residents of long-term care facilities, and people 65 and older can receive vaccinations in Napa. Those who are eligible can fill out this vaccine interest form to receive notifications and register for a clinic when vaccines are available.

San Mateo: The county is currently vaccinating health care workers and residents of long-term care facilities, and is transitioning to the next phase, residents over age 65, as the supply of vaccines allows. The county says most vaccinations will be given by health care organizations; when they cannot provide direct vaccinations, a county partner will do so. The county lists information about providers booking appointments for eligible residents here.

Santa Clara County: Santa Clara County is currently vaccinating health care workers, with some providers vaccinating people 75 and older. The county provides links to make vaccine appointments for patients of major health care providers. Residents can track distribution of vaccines through the countys online dashboard.

Solano County: The county is currently vaccinating health care workers, residents of long-term care facilities and people over the age of 75. It has provided information for how residents can schedule appointments with the countys various healthcare systems, including who is eligible to go through them. Residents over the age of 65 and those people in Phase 1A, Tier 3 are next in line.

Sonoma County: The county is currently vaccinating health care workers and residents of long-term care facilities. The county will begin including teachers, child care providers, emergency service workers, food and agricultural workers and residents 65 and older in early February. Sonoma has provided phone numbers for major health providers so patients can coordinate directly with their doctors.

Major health care provider information:

Kaiser Permanente: The provider is still vaccinating individuals in Phase 1A. Members 75 and older will be contacted directly via a letter or email with instructions for scheduling an appointment. Supply is still limited for patients 65 and older, but they will be next. Patients are asked not to try to book appointments through their doctors. Those who are not Kaiser members but want to get vaccinated through them can call 866-454-8855, but are warned of of high demand and long wait times.

Stanford Health Care: The health care system can currently schedule appointments for health care workers who work in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo or Santa Clara county, and patients who have received care at Stanford Health Care at least once in the last three years, are 65 or older, and live in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo or Santa Clara county. Members who are eligible can book their appointment through the MyHealth portal online, or by calling 650-498-9000.

Sutter Health: Health care workers and Sutter patients 75 and older are currently being vaccinated. Those who are eligible can book their appointment online through the My Health Online portal, or by calling 844-987-6115 to talk to a scheduler. Callers are warned of high demand and long wait times. Patients should not call their doctors office to schedule vaccine appointments.

John Muir Health: There is no registry or wait list for patients who want a vaccine. John Muir patients will be contacted by group (starting with those 75 and older) through different avenues including MyChart messages, email, text messages and phone calls.

St. Joseph Health: The system is still vaccinating health care workers and residents of long-term care facilities. When eligibility expands, St. Joseph patients will be directly contacted to schedule an appointment and dont need to reach out.

Dignity Health: Several locations are offering vaccinations in California to eligible patients, and those interested asked to check with their closest clinic locations for information. Dignity Health Medical Group Sequoia has started vaccinating patients 75 and older in San Mateo. Eligible patients will receive a call or email and be prompted to schedule an appointment through the PropMod system. Patients are asked not to call at this time. The Saint Francis/St. Mary's location in San Francisco is still vaccinating health care workers and residents of long-term care facilities, so no further updates are availble at this time.

With the states shift to an age-based vaccination system beginning in mid-February, the timeline has changed, moving away from prioritization based on workplace risk. Currently, health care workers and residents of long-term care facilities are being vaccinated. Some counties have begun vaccinating individuals 75 and older. Residents 65 and older and essential workers including educators, food and agricultural workers, and first responders are also eligible.

Starting in mid-February, the state will shift to the age-based system that starts with the oldest individuals first and makes its way down to younger age groups.

Phase 1C previously included individuals ages 16 to 64 who were at risk of developing severe illness due to the coronavirus, but it is unclear how and whether those people will still be prioritized in the new system.

Currently, two vaccines have been approved in the U.S. and are available, made by Pfizer and Moderna. The Pfizer vaccine is recommended for individuals 16 and older, and the Moderna vaccine for people 18 and older. No COVID-19 vaccines are approved yet for children because the initial trials included only adults, and a CDC report found that coronavirus symptoms are generally milder in children than adults.

Health care workers are being notified by their workplaces and most are getting vaccinated by their employers or health care providers. Free vaccines are being administered to residents and staff in long-term care settings by CVS and Walgreens.

Individuals in later phases will be able to get their shots from their primary care providers, pharmacies and some people may be able to go through their employers. In addition to the sites open or planned in San Francisco, state and local officials have announced the opening of several mass vaccination sites in Sacramento, Los Angeles and San Diego.

Some sites are currently opening in the Bay Area, but initially only to priority groups. Counties anticipate in the next few weeks to open up the sites to the broader public.

Kellie Hwang is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kellie.hwang@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @KellieHwang

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When and where can I get my coronavirus vaccination in the Bay Area? - San Francisco Chronicle