SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KRON) - The state is preparing for a surge in demand for the COVID-19 vaccine as eligibility rules start to change this week.
The California Department of Public Health said Tuesday the state is expecting larger vaccine shipments than usual in the coming weeks with 4.5 million doses coming into the state between this week and next.
The state is expecting to receive an average of 2.5 million doses a week in the first half of April, working up to more than 3 million a week by the end of that month.
Governor Newsom has said the state is preparing for a surge in demand, CDPH said Tuesday the state, along with its third-party administrator Blue Shield, has 2,100 vaccination sites across California with the ability to administer 4 million doses per week.
As of Tuesday, health officials said 17.6 million doses have been administered in the state with now about 6.4 million Californians fully vaccinated.
Funding from the recently passed American Rescue Plan in Washington will help California's vaccination effort, according to U.S. Senator Alex Padilla.
Padilla said Tuesday $1 billion will be distributed to about 175 California Community health clinics to expand vaccine access to vulnerable parts of the state.
The Senator tweeted in part that "it's an investment in Californians who need it most."
State data showed as of Tuesday about 3.46 million Californians in the least healthy zip codes have been vaccinated.
State officials have set a short-term goal to vaccinate 4 million of those living in the most vulnerable parts of the state.
Once that happens, rules will be relaxed for the state's blueprint for reopening, allowing counties to move into less restrictive tiers more easily.
Via Coronavirus | KRON4 https://www.kron4.com
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