Are you now eligible for the COVID vaccine? Here’s how to get one in SLO County
Eligibility for the COVID-19 vaccine expanded this week, and at least 40,000 additional San Luis Obispo County residents are now able to get a shot.
More than 10% of San Luis Obispo County’s population has been fully vaccinated, and 111,096 doses have been administered as of March 24, according to the California Department of Public Health.
The county received about 12,000 doses the week of March 15, and is expecting even more than that to come each week thereafter.
If you are 50 years old or older, or work in education, childcare, food, agriculture, emergency services, public transit or janitorial services, you are eligible for a vaccine.
Additionally, those ages 16 to 64 who can self-attest to having serious health conditions may get vaccinated now. That means no doctor’s note or medical documentation is required.
Those qualifying health conditions include uncontrolled diabetes, morbid obesity, cancer patients undergoing cancer or in a debilitated state from the disease, sickle cell anemia, end-stage kidney disease, and pulmonary disease who are oxygen dependent.
In addition, people living in congregate living facilities, such as correctional facilities and homeless shelters, are also now available for the vaccine. Unhoused individuals not living in a shelter but who are at risk of living in a shelter also may be eligible for the vaccine.
The San Luis Obispo County Public Health Department has received about 400 doses for inmates at the San Luis Obispo County Jail and Juvenile Services Center.
And people who can self-attest that they are providing informal or unpaid care to someone vulnerable to COVID-19, may also be eligible for the vaccine.
Here are ways to get one:
Sign up for the county lottery
The first, fail-safe way to ensure you get a vaccine as soon as a dose is available is to sign up for San Luis Obispo County’s vaccine lottery.
You likely won’t get a vaccine appointment right away, however, as vaccine supply is still limited.
Once you sign up, you will be contacted when an appointment is available. Those who are not yet eligible for a vaccine will be notified regularly that they are still in the system for the next opportunity.
County Public Health Officer Dr. Penny Borenstein said at a press conference on Wednesday that about 10% to 20% of people contacted to receive a vaccine have not showed up, causing vaccines to sit in the refrigerator when they could have been put in arms.
So, if you are unable to make your appointment, Borenstein asks that you please respond to the appointment notification (which you’ll get in either a text or email) and inform the Public Health Department that you won’t be able to make it. That ensures that someone else waiting in line for a shot can get their dose.
To register for a vaccine appointment via the Public Health, go to RecoverSLO.org/en/vaccine-registration.aspx. Once there, you’ll see a red button that says “Register Now.”
Click that, and you’ll be redirected to the county’s vaccine appointment registry.
If you do not have access to the internet or have trouble registering online, call the county’s phone assistance center at (805) 543-2444 or (805) 781-4280.
These vaccine appointments are for those needing their first dose only. If you have already received your first dose, the county will contact you about scheduling that second-dose appointment.
Vaccines are being administered at the following county locations:
- San Luis Obispo: Cuesta College (Harold J. Miossi Cultural and Performing Arts Center)
- Paso Robles: Paso Robles Event Center
- Arroyo Grande: South County Regional Center at 800 W Branch St.
Get an appointment at a pharmacy
Don’t want to make an appointment through the county?
You can also contact local pharmacies and healthcare providers, which are administering vaccines to those who are eligible.
These local providers are administering vaccines:
- Vons or Albertsons
- Ralphs
- Cayucos Pharmacy
- CVS
- Rite Aid
- Costco Pharmacy
- Community Health Centers of the Central Coast (CHC)
Pharmacies and healthcare providers may ask for your health insurance to pay for administrative costs, but they should not charge you for a vaccine otherwise, Dr. Borenstein said.
Borenstein also said that if you’re unsure whether your local pharmacy has vaccines, you can go to VaccineFinder.org/search to find out.
The tool allows you to set a distance from your home and will list locations with available doses.
Beware of COVID-19 vaccine scams
Borenstein said that there are vaccine scams circulating that may try to take your money in return of a false promise for a COVID-19 vaccine.
“I just want folks to be very wary of being either texted or emailed or phone calls related to asking you for any type of payment” in exchange for a vaccine, she said. “That is not something that would happen from ourselves or any of the vaccine providers.”
These scammers may offer you a vaccine appointment or a higher place in line for the next vaccine, Borenstein said.
It may be a scam if:
- You are asked for credit card information or payment information to get a vaccine
- Links look suspicious
- The message doesn’t come from a reputable source or vaccine provider
- The information uses unfamiliar vaccine names
For more information, Borenstein advised you go to oig.hhs.gov/fraud/consumer-alerts/fraud-alert-covid-19-scams/.
This story was originally published March 18, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
