San Francisco and Santa Clara counties drop vaccine eligibility age to 16

Two days ahead of state’s schedule, San Francisco and Santa Clara County Tuesday opened Covid-19 vaccine eligibility to residents age 16 and older. 

San Francisco had already dropped the eligibility age Friday for residents living in neighborhoods highly impacted by Covid-19. People living in specific zip codes were invited to visit three drop-in sites, including at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and at the Southeast Health Center.

Despite a limited vaccine supply, Mayor London Breed said in a statement:

“We’ve created a network of vaccination sites in our city, and San Franciscans are stepping up and getting vaccinated because we know that it’s our best shot to end this pandemic once and for all.”

The Department of Public Health reports that 58 percent of San Francisco residents age 16 and older have received at least one dose of the vaccine and that 30 percent of residents have been fully vaccinated.

Among the older population, 84 percent of residents over the age of 65 have received at least one dose of the vaccine and 68 percent in the same age group have completed the vaccine series. The City is administering an average of 12,000 doses a day, officials said.

DPH Director Dr. Grant Colfax said in a statement:

“With limited supply, we know that booking an appointment right away might be challenging, but we are expecting more vaccine towards the end of the month. I want to reassure everyone who is eligible that your opportunity is coming soon.”

City officials urge residents to keep refreshing websites and take the first appointment available to them. It was also noted that the Pfizer formula is the only vaccine approved for individuals age 16 and older.

If San Francisco continues receiving a sufficient supply, it’s estimated that 80 percent of adults should be able to receive at least one dose of the vaccine by mid-May.

San Francisco residents can visit https://sf.gov/get-vaccinated-against-covid-19 to make an online appointment at various vaccine sites. A hotline has also been set up for residents unable to book appointments online. The number is (628) 652-2700.

Santa Clara County Tuesday also expanded its vaccine eligibility people age 16 and older who live or work in the county.

County officials said they received a significant increase in vaccine doses and opened tens of thousands of appointments for this week with more appointments being made available for next week.

The public can make appointments on the county’s website by visiting sccfreevax.org.

Jerold Chinn

Jerold serves as a reporter and San Francisco Bureau Chief for SFBay covering transportation and occasionally City Hall and the Mayor's Office in San Francisco. His work on transportation has been recognized by the San Francisco Press Club. Born and raised in San Francisco, he graduated from San Francisco State University with a degree in journalism. Jerold previously wrote for the San Francisco Public Press, a nonprofit, noncommercial news organization. When not reporting, you can find Jerold taking Muni to check out new places to eat in the city.