With a sharp increase in vaccine supply in addition to the recent approval of the single-shot Johnson & Johnson Vaccine, Biden says all adults should be able to get vaccinated by the end of May 2021. Governor. Newsom says this increase in vaccine supply is the “light at the end of the tunnel.”
The J&J vaccine approval allots an additional ten million shots to the state of California. According to the California Department of Public Health, healthcare providers and local pharmacies have administered over nine million vaccines to Californians. These numbers continue to grow rapidly as supply increases both at the federal and state level. A recent report by the New York Times claims “The United States is now averaging 2 million vaccine doses administered per day.”
However, vaccine disparities among minority groups are still at large within the state. Community health centers across the state have reported a lack of supply while large healthcare providers skip to front-of-the-line access, leaving behind at-risk patients and minority groups in the process of vaccination. Black and Latino communities throughout CA have faced brutality of the pandemic in larger case numbers due to a lack of monetary means to provide the necessary support to prevent the spread. White wealthy Californians have been inoculated at higher rates than their Black and Latino neighbors.
Attempting to tackle the disproportionate supply distribution, The Office of Gov. Newsom reported 40 percent of all vaccine supply will be directed to low-income communities. Gov. Newsom identifies communities in need based on the “allocation formula” to assess which communities are most impacted by the pandemic and will receive doses based on the data.

When and Where Can You Get a Vaccine?
As of March 3, those who are eligible to become inoculated fall under the Phase 1A and 1B requirements. Working within the “Equity Framework” California aims to “reach two million vaccine doses administered to the hardest-hit communities.”
Phase 1A (about three million people)

• Healthcare workers

• Long-term care facility residents

Phase 1B (about 12 million people)

• People 65 and older

• Agriculture and food workers

• Education and childcare workers

• Emergency service workers

At least three mass inoculation sites have opened in the Bay Area, including The City College of San Francisco, Moscone Center South, and the Oakland-Alameda Coliseum. Mayor London Breed of San Francisco says some mass inoculation sites have the ability to vaccinate at least ten thousand people per day, all free of charge.
Additionally, lower volume sites continue to pop up across the greater Bay Area to increase availability. The Biden administration announced in late January that vaccine doses would begin shipment to over 400,000 local pharmacies including CVS centers inside grocery stores. More recently, CA has partnered with the insurance company Blue Shield to speed up the pace at which people will be vaccinated. As of Feb. 27 CA Public Health Officials say the state is on track to vaccinate three million people a week.
For more information on when you will become eligible for the vaccine, visit MyTurn.ca.gov

A Decrease in COVID-19 Cases Nationwide
Counties throughout the state continue to have downward trends of COVID-19 cases, the state most recently reaching a 2.3 percent positivity rate, Gov. Newsom reported in a tweet on March 2. The decrease in cases after a tumultuous winter of death and sickness offers optimism for scientists and healthcare workers across the nation.
Scientists from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continue to warn citizens to not let their guard down yet despite vaccine supply increasing paired with the decrease of cases nationwide. However, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott wrote in a tweet Tuesday, “I just announced Texas is OPEN 100 percent” continuing on with, “I also ended the statewide mask mandate.”
The spread in Texas, however, has not slowed, averaging about 200 deaths a day. Multiple other states have followed in Gov. Abbott’s footsteps including Mississippi and Florida. Biden criticized the rush to ease restrictions as “neanderthal thinking” in a time where the country is on the “cusp of being able to fundamentally change the nature of this disease.”
States lifting COVID-19 measures are going against the top U.S. health officials, risking a fourth surge arising from the ease in restrictions.

Where Inoculation Stands in Biden’s 100 Million Shots in His First 100 Days
At the beginning of President Biden’s term, he set a vaccination goal of 1.5 million doses a day, which the United States has met and continues to exceed.
Biden’s promise of 100 million vaccines by his 100th day in office, April 30, appears to be attainable. At least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine has been received by over 50 million people in the nation. The increase of vaccine supply will continue to grow and exceed expectations set by the President, with the approval of the J&J vaccine.
At the beginning of the year, Dr. Anthony Fauci announced herd immunity will not be reached by Biden’s 100th day in office. However, with the recent dramatic increase of vaccine doses and opening of sites, Biden in a statement March 2 says all adults in America will be able to receive a vaccine by the end of May.
Health officials remain on alert of the spread of new variants that are non-receptive or less effective against the vaccine, such as the California variant. Officials believe this variant circulating in CA was one of the leading causes for the deadly winter experienced.
According to the CDC, 15.9 percent or 80 million of Americans have been inoculated, this number is expected to grow dramatically. Partnerships forming between pharmaceutical companies and insurance agencies, such as Merck & Co. partnering with Johnson & Johnson are propelling progress within the nation. Biden further vowed to get at least one COVID-19 dose into the arms of teachers by the end of March.
Optimism continues to grow as early studies conducted in long-term care facilities show results of a very low risk of transmission between those who have been fully vaccinated.
As we approach the “light at the end of the tunnel” we are all urged to remain vigilant of the situation as COVID-19 continues to spread and evolve throughout the world. Gov. Newsom is recommending those living in CA to double mask to reduce the spread as states lift mask mandate orders.