Just like you wear a mask to protect others from getting COVID-19, it is vitally important that we vaccinate those at highest risk for severe infection or to prevent outbreaks in vulnerable populations and disruptions to our essential services due to sickness and virus transmission.
The State worked with a group of public health experts to create a vaccination plan for California to prioritize groups to protect the healthcare system first, and then move to vaccinating those 65 years old and older who are the most vulnerable among us and experience severe complications, hospitalizations and death due to COVID-19. As of late February, among those ages 0-59, there are 76,700 cases and of those 178 deaths, compared to 16,300 cases for those ages 60-80+ years old, there are 1,285 deaths.
Data clearly show the death toll on our older adults:
0-59 years: 178 deaths from 76,700 total cases
60-80+ years: 1,285 deaths from 16,300 total cases
With the extremely limited vaccine supply, Sacramento County Public Health and healthcare partners are working to vaccinate those 65 years and older, and we are also vaccinating essential worker groups in Phase 1b, Tier 1, such as teachers and first responders. Only the groups who meet the criteria to be vaccinated should sign up for appointments. The next Sacramento County group in Phase 1b, Tier 1 vaccination group are workers in the food and agriculture industry – slated for mid-March.
Cutting in Line
We know many want the vaccine as soon as possible to get back to a pre-COVID-19 lifestyle, but when someone books a vaccination appointment under false pretenses, that is one less appointment for someone who does qualify – setting the entire plan back.
Vaccination sites require a photo ID with address and date of birth to verify qualifying age and that you live in Sacramento County for the 65 years and over group. For those who work in Sacramento County, the vaccination sites require work identification to verify the essential worker group qualification in the current
Sacramento County COVID-19 Vaccination Distribution Schedule.
Those who take an appointment and do not meet the criteria will have their appointment canceled or will be turned away on-site and will not be vaccinated. Taking vaccination appointment slots from others slows the vaccination process down for everyone in our community. If you don’t qualify and someone offers you an appointment link or it’s been shared on a social media network – don’t do it – you will not be vaccinated – it wastes your time, staff time and everyone’s in line, and, most importantly, you will have taken one of a precious few appointments from someone in our community who does meet criteria.
“Sacramento County is beginning to receive more allocations of COVID-19 vaccines from the State, which will allow us to vaccinate those in our community at highest risk and offer more vaccination appointments to those who meet criteria. In the near future, we will offer appointments to additional groups with the goal of keeping the community healthy and safely opening more business sectors,” said, Sacramento County Health Officer, Dr. Olivia Kasirye.
For those ages 65 and up who live in Sacramento County, learn about available vaccination appointments.
Qualified Vaccination Appointments
For those who meet the vaccination group criteria and have an appointment, please eat, hydrate and take regularly prescribed medication prior to arriving to receive your vaccination.
At your appointment, staff will verify that you live or work in a qualified worker group in Sacramento County, as well as your age for those 65 years and older, and you will be asked about allergies and some other questions. After the vaccination, you will be monitored for severe reactions by medical staff from 15-30 minutes per your applicable allergy history. Depending on the vaccination site, your second dose appointment will be scheduled at the time of your first, and some sites will notify you about a week before the second dose is due or provide you with contact information to make a second dose appointment. The timing for second doses is three weeks after the first dose for Pfizer and four weeks for Moderna – however, for either vaccine, the CDC allows up to six weeks between the first and second dose, if a delay cannot be avoided.
To learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine, its safety and benefits as well as appointments and who will get the vaccine and when, please go to the
Sacramento County COVID-19 website.