Vaccination of priority groups in Phase 1A will continue through January and February. The Public Health Department is awaiting further guidance from CDPH on specific prioritization beyond Phase 1A. When adequate vaccine and capacity is available in Phase 2, essential workers and persons at high risk of severe outcomes from disease will be vaccinated. In Phase 3 the vaccine will begin to be available to the general community, and this could occur sometime between April and June.
According to guidelines from the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) to prioritize allocation of the vaccine, during Phase 1 of allocation, COVID-19 vaccine will be offered to the following persons:
Phase 1A Priority Vaccine Distribution
Tier 1
- Staff of acute care hospitals, psych, correctional facility hospitals
- Staff/residents in long term care setting serving older and high risk
- EMS personnel providing EMS services
- Dialysis Center staff
Tier 2
- Intermediate Care Facilities
- Home health/ home care workers
- Community Health workers
- Primary, correctional, urgent care clinics
Tier 3
- Specialty clinics
- Lab workers
- Dental
- Pharmacy (if not included previously)
Further information on the priority tiers established by CDPH during the initial phase here. COVID-19 vaccines are expected to be available for the general public in the Spring of 2021. This timeline will be adjusted as the Public Health Department learns more.