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Alameda County Health Care Services Agency Update
On February 3, Governor Newsom’s announced that the State of California will partner with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to launch a mega Point-of-Dispensing (POD) pilot vaccination site at the Oakland Coliseum. The mega POD is scheduled to open on February 16, with additional details to be provided in the coming days. The infusion of vaccine is much needed in our community and will help us reach more people more quickly.
Neighborhoods surrounding the Coliseum are some of the areas most impacted by COVID-19 and we had begun planning for a mega POD at this location when we received the news about the State plan. The area is also home to many of our essential workers who have kept the economy open over the past year. We will continue robust outreach and engagement through our community partners to ensure that residents in surrounding neighborhoods have access to the vaccine. We understand that residents will be able to register for the Coliseum mega POD in the coming days.
This week, we also announced that we are moving into Phase 1b Tier 1 of the state’s vaccine prioritization framework the week of February 8. Moving into tiers with additional essential workers, decreasing case and positivity rates, our return to the Purple Tier, and possible reopening of K-6 schools when our case rate dips below 25 per 100,000 are all encouraging signs. These improvements would not be possible without the support of many partners and our staff who continue working tirelessly on the response.
You’ll find this week’s Board of Supervisors update and back issues of our newsletter here. Thank you for helping us save lives in Alameda County and doing your part.
Public Health Department Website
COVID Vaccine Update
Vaccination for individuals in Phase 1b Tier 1 of the state vaccine prioritization framework is scheduled to begin the week of February 8. This includes people aged 65+ and essential workers in Food and Agriculture, Emergency Services (including law enforcement), and Education and Childcare sectors. Phase 1b is much larger than Phase 1a (325,000 vs. 145,000 respectively). It may still take a while to get an appointment because vaccine supply is limited. People who are older, disabled, or at increased risk of exposure at work should be given priority. Eligible people who are covered by community health clinics, Kaiser or a Sutter affiliate should reach out to their health care provider for vaccine.
Alameda County residents can sign up to be notified when the vaccine might be available. English, Spanish, and Simplified Chinese forms are now available:
When there is enough vaccine to expand appointments, Alameda County will share that information widely along with when and how eligible groups can get vaccinated. A photo ID, proof of registration, and proof of belonging in the current phase and tier being vaccinated will be required.
We expect our current supply to remain limited but steady for a while. We should have appointments available every week at our County Points-of-Dispensing (PODs). We will prioritize appointments for people who are uninsured, from communities disproportionately impacted by COVID-19, or at high risk for transmission because of where they live or work. Newly eligible residents over the age of 65 and essential workers in Phase 1b who are covered by community health clinics, Kaiser, or a Sutter affiliate are encouraged to reach out to your health care provider for potential faster access to the vaccine.
Our vaccine dashboard is now live and will be updated as more data become available. More than 149,000 doses have been administered to Alameda County residents, including more than 21,000 doses have been administered at our County PODs. The majority of the individuals who were vaccinated are from Phase 1a and we expect to complete this group soon. We continue to keep equity at the forefront of our vaccination planning including location determinations for community PODs. For more information about our vaccine distribution plans, please visit our Vaccines page. General inquiries about COVID-19 vaccine may be directed to covax@acgov.org
COVID Vaccine Safety
Although the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are considered the best defense against severe COVID-19 cases, concerns about the vaccines safety and the speed at which they were developed continue to be voiced. Here are a few facts about the vaccines that we hope will lessen those concerns:
- Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are called mRNA vaccines, a new vaccine technology based on well-established science and decades of research. mRNA vaccines teach our cells how to make a protein—or even just a piece of a protein—that triggers an immune response inside our bodies. That immune response, which produces antibodies, is what protects us from getting infected if the real virus enters our bodies.
- Scientists drew from research conducted for SARS-CoV in 2003 and MERS in 2012, which shortened the average time to develop a vaccine from scratch.
- For example, the Moderna vaccine was developed as early as February 2020 but had to be tested on thousands of volunteers for months to make sure it was safe. The first two vaccines were authorized only after they had been tested in almost 75,000 people.
- Current science indicates that both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are among the most effective vaccines developed, protecting 94-95% of vaccinated people (after 2 doses) from COVID-19 illness of any severity and nearly everyone from severe disease.
We encourage you to continue to learn more about these and other vaccines that are being developed. Arming yourself with information will help you make the best decisions for you and others.
COVID Data Summary
The following data reflects the state’s 7-day average and 7-day lag data reported January 24 through February 2:
- 73,771 cumulative cases
- 980 cumulative deaths
- 28.9 adjusted case rate per 100,000
- 7.2% overall test positivity rate
- 10.8% lowest HPI quartile test positivity
- 10,000+ testing 7-day average
- 330 patients currently hospitalized
- 99 patients in ICU
Answer the Call to accelerate Case Investigation & Contact Tracing
There are presently 239 investigators:
- 48 outbreak investigators
- 115 case investigators/contact tracers
- 76 staff CBO contract partners
- 23 Public Health Community Resource Team (CRT) staff
From January 27 to February 2:
- 46.6% of cases reached within 24 hours
- 47.5% within 48 hours
- 51.6% reached overall
- 59.7% contacts reached within 24 hours
- 61.7% within 48 hours
- 66.5% reached overall
Please help us remind community members to answer the call from the Public Health Department to accelerate case investigation and contact tracing efforts.
Mobile Testing at Oakland BART
Our Mobile MegaBus will begin testing on February 8 at the West Oakland BART station and the Coliseum BART station, and rotate to other BART stops in Alameda County over the next two months. Visit our website for community testing sites and events.
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