Kaiser says seniors may have to wait for COVID-19 vaccine
(Graphic by Solano NewsNet)
Kaiser Permanente says members who are over the age of 65 and who want a COVID-19 vaccine are probably going to have to wait a while.
In a series of posts made late Friday evening on Twitter, a spokesperson for the hospital network said California’s recent decision to open up the COVID-19 vaccine process to all seniors over the age of 65 didn’t come with an increase in supply of the vaccine.
“We have 1.4 million members in California who are 65 or older,” the spokesperson said. “We have been getting vaccine[s] for about 20,000 people a week. Until supply increases, it will take months to provide the vaccine to all of our 65-and-over members.”
Kaiser said its appointment phone lines have been flooded since Governor Gavin Newsom made the announcement earlier this week. Long wait times have been reported by many members in social media posts of their own.
“We do not have enough vaccine supply on hand to meet even a fraction of this demand,” the Kaiser spokesperson said on Friday. “We sincerely apologize for long phone wait times and understand the frustration. We are grateful for everyone’s patience and we are taking action to increase access to vaccinations as supply allows.”
The hospital network didn’t provide specific details on how it’s increasing the supply of COVID-19 vaccines. Two companies — Pfizer and Moderna — are producing FDA-approved versions of the vaccine, which requires two doses to fully inoculate a person against the virus.
We’re proud to produce independent news for Solano County. This newsletter is an all-volunteer effort. If you would like to show your appreciation, consider making a donation in any amount or converting your email subscription into a paid one.
Discuss this newsletter and other stories from across Solano County on our Facebook group here and follow our new Twitter account here.