SLO County opens 1,500 new COVID vaccine appointments in Paso Robles
Update, 6 p.m.
As of 6 p.m. on Friday, all 1,500 newly-released coronavirus vaccine appointment slots were filled for the upcoming week.
The new appointments were reserved in less than an hour, according to RecoverSLO.org/VaccineRegistration.
Original story:
The San Luis Obispo County Public Health Department announced Friday that 1,500 appointments for first-dose coronavirus vaccinations in Paso Robles are available next week for residents age 65 and older.
The new bookings became available at 3 p.m. on Friday afternoon at RecoverSLO.org/VaccineRegistration.
The additional appointments brings the total of first-dose slots to 4,700 for next week. On Wednesday, the Public Health Department also announced 3,200 appointments would be available next week throughout the county.
All of those appointments were filled within a few hours of becoming available on Thursday morning.
“Anyone who books their first-dose appointment (on Friday) may have to book their second dose for a different location when that time comes, due to logistical challenges associated with the vaccine,” said Dr. Penny Borenstein, county health officer, in a statement. “What’s important is that you get the same kind of vaccine for both your first and second dose, whether that’s Pfizer or Moderna.”
SLO County vaccine progress
As of Feb. 12, the county has administered first doses of the vaccine to 22,742 residents, according to RecoverSLO.org. Of those people, 5,656 have also now received second doses.
Additional health care workers have been vaccinated through Dignity Health and Tenet Health Central Coast, which receive vaccine doses directly from the state.
Chain pharmacies including CVS have received and administered doses to skilled nursing facility residents and employees. Pharmacies throughout the county have also started offering coronavirus vaccines to residents 65 and older on a very limited basis.
According to the California Department of Public Health, a total of 49,628 vaccines have been administered across the county by Public Health, chain pharmacies and local hospitals as of Thursday, the latest update.
Second-dose coronavirus vaccine appointments will take place next week in addition to the 4,700 first-dose appointments that were released, according to the county.
The county said it will notify residents when it is ready to administer their second dose of the vaccine, either Pfizer or Moderna.
Due to limited supply, second-dose appointments may not be available on the exact day a person is eligible.
The county said that while a second dose is required for maximum protections, a delay isn’t detrimental.
How to register for a coronavirus vaccination appointment
The county Public Health Department is only administering vaccines to people in Phase 1A and Phase 1B — health care workers, skilled nursing facility employees and people age 65 and older.
Vaccines are administered at three sites throughout the county: San Luis Obispo, Paso Robles and Arroyo Grande.
Appointments can be made online at RecoverSLO.org/VaccineRegistration.
They can also be made via phone at 805-543-2444. The county’s Phone Assistance Center is now available seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Residents can also receive email alerts about vaccinations by signing up at EmergencySLO.org/en/newsletter.
Pharmacies throughout the county are now also offering coronavirus vaccines to healthcare workers and residents 65 and older on a very limited basis. Residents can currently schedule vaccine appointments online at the following pharmacies, according to ReadySLO.org.
- Vons/Albertsons: albertsons.com/covidclinic
- Ralphs: ralphs.com/rx/guest/get-vaccinated
- Cayucos Pharmacy: cayucospharmacy.com/covid-vaccine
- CVS Arroyo Grande: cvs.com/immunizations/covid-19-vaccine
If you need transportation to your vaccination appointment, call RTA Runabout at 805-541–2544 or Ride-On at 805-541-8747 to schedule a no-cost roundtrip ride.
This story was originally published February 19, 2021 at 3:34 PM.
