Hundreds of SLO County seniors receive COVID vaccine: ‘I could hardly wait to get it’
A line of people wearing masks stood six feet apart outside the San Luis Obispo County Public Health Department on Tuesday, waiting for coronavirus vaccines.
Most of them sported silver hair.
In San Luis Obispo County, healthcare workers, nursing facility residents and, as of Monday, anyone age 75 or older can receive a vaccine from the county Public Health Department at two local sites.
According to the Public Health Department, all 4,000 vaccination appointments available this week were quickly filled up.
At the agency’s headquarters in San Luis Obispo, those with mobility challenges were directed Tuesday to parking spots where the vaccine was distributed at their vehicles while others were directed to park, then wait in one of two lines — “Dose 1” or “Dose 2” — to be screened prior to vaccination.
Inside an offshoot of the Public Health Department building, eight vaccination stations separated by PVC pipe and plastic dividers were labeled “Moderna Dose 1” or “Pfizer Dose 2.” Within each station was two chairs, a small table and a trained professional ready to vaccinate those who were guided in by volunteers and county employees.
Doug Dorman, a Morro Bay resident, was among the seniors who were able to book an appointment this week. At around 11 a.m. Tuesday, Dorman received the first dose of the two-part COVID-19 vaccination.
When registered nurse Julie Whitlock asked if Dorman had any questions regarding the process, he replied with a laugh, “When can I take off the mask?”
Whitlock explained that Dorman would have to come back for a second dose of the vaccine in three to four weeks, then wait two more weeks until he’d be immune. Even then, she added, he should still wear a face mask.
Only a few minutes after Dorman walked in, he was out the door with a vaccination card in hand. Dorman was then directed to a large observation tent where he would have to wait 15 to 30 minutes to see if he had an adverse reaction to the vaccine before being released.
Whitlock, who came out of retirement and joined the Medical Reserve Corps, said it has been rewarding to give back to her community and help curb the serious affects of COVID-19.
“It’s awesome to serve our community,” Whitlock said “Especially the elder community, they’re so grateful and feel a sense of relief.”
SLO County seniors respond to COVID-19 vaccine
Janett Paulson, an Arroyo Grande resident, was also one of the many seniors who was vaccinated Tuesday.
“I could hardly wait to get it,” Paulson said. “I was thinking I wouldn’t be able to until April.”
Paulson said she was relieved to get the coronavirus vaccine, but added that her children and grandchildren are excited for her as well.
North Coast couple Paul and Kathy Kellett, were also eager to receive the vaccine.
The Kelletts were vaccinated Monday in San Luis Obispo.
Having heard horror stories about lengthy waits at vaccination sites elsewhere, “We were prepared for the worst,” Paul Kellett, 82 said, “but we got the best.”
He called the vaccination process a “super smooth, very seamless procedure” made better by the “total professionalism” exhibited by those working the event.
On Tuesday, Kellett reported that he had no discernible side effects from the vaccination, and while his 79-year-old wife was “a little fatigued,” neither of them had any body aches or other effects.
How many people have been vaccinated locally?
According to the county, nearly 11,000 health care workers and skilled nursing facility residents had been vaccinated as of Tuesday morning.
While hospitals and skilled nursing facilities are administering doses of the vaccine to their employees and residents on their sites, the Public Health Department is administering the vaccines at two distribution points — the Public Health Department headquarters in San Luis Obispo and in the Ponderosa Pavillion at the Paso Robles Event Center, home to the California Mid-State Fair.
At the San Luis Obispo site alone, 740 vaccine doses were administered Monday. Around 700 or so more were expected to be delivered Tuesday, about 300 of which were set to be second doses for healthcare workers, according to Shoresman.
Shoresman said the county is hoping to open up a third site soon in South County and potentially transition the San Luis Obispo site to a larger location.
Once all three sites are up and running, the county would be able to distribute 3,000 vaccines a day. However, limited supplies have drastically decreased the county’s ability to vaccinate more quickly.
Additionally, administration of the second dose of Moderna vaccines may face setbacks due to increased allergic reactions to a batch of the Moderna product.
According to a news release, the county Public Health Department received 4,400 doses of a specific lot of Moderna vaccine that has been tied to a “higher-than-usual number of adverse events” at a California clinic.
Shoresman said Tuesday that the county Public Health Department has not administered any of the second dose Moderna vaccines and do not plan to do so.
At this time the state will not replace the doses, which may lead to a delayed second dose for some people.
It was unclear as of Tuesday how many Pfizer or Moderna vaccines would be available next week for first or second doses. The county is only given about a six-day notice about how many vaccines will be allocated to them the following week.
Shoresman said vaccination appointment slots for the following week will be released on the county’s RecoverSLO.org website and through email alerts every Thursday.
How to register for a vaccination appointment
The county is still only vaccinating people who fall into Phase 1A or Phase 1B. Others will, and have, been turned away.
Walk-up vaccinations will not be permitted, the county said.
To sign up for an appointment, go to RecoverSLO.org or call 805-543-2444.
According to Shoresman, the whole vaccination process takes about an hour — from waiting in line to be screened, getting vaccinated and finishing the observation period.
This story was originally published January 19, 2021 at 2:25 PM.
