Vaccine update: At least 15% of SLO County population has gotten COVID shots
San Luis Obispo County is quickly approaching the 100,000-dose mark for coronavirus vaccines.
As of Thursday, 102,498 doses of coronavirus vaccines have been administered in San Luis Obispo County, according to data from the California Department of Public Health.
That includes both first and second doses of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, as well as the local launch of the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
The state’s data does not include how many people have received vaccine doses, but the San Luis Obispo County Public Health Department releases weekly updates on the number of people vaccinated at its three county-run clinics — located in Arroyo Grande, Paso Robles and San Luis Obispo.
According to the county dashboard, San Luis Obispo County administered 11,678 doses between March 8 and March 12, the most recent data available.
That’s the most doses the county has administered in one week since it began vaccinating local residents in December.
This brings the total number of people who have received at least the first dose of a coronavirus vaccine through the county to 43,207, or roughly 15.2% of San Luis Obispo County’s total population.
According to the dashboard, a total of 24,947 people have received their second dose of either the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine at one of the local clinics as of March 5 and are fully immunized. That’s about 8.8% of the population.
The county Public Health Department received its first shipment of the Johnson & Johnson single-dose vaccine on March 5, and then halted its roll-out of the vaccine due to a federal delay, so data on its dashboard does not yet reflect those doses.
To date, a total of 68,154 vaccines have been administered at the county’s clinics since December.
The county dashboard does not include those vaccinated at chain pharmacies including CVS, by the county’s private health partners such as Dignity Health or Tenet Central Coast, nor those vaccinated via the state’s long-term care facility vaccination program. That means the actual number of those vaccinated in San Luis Obispo County is likely higher.
At a media briefing Wednesday, Public Health Officer Dr. Penny Borenstein said roughly 10% of the county’s population was likely fully vaccinated.
How to schedule a COVID-19 vaccine appointment
As of Thursday, the county Public Health Department is administering coronavirus vaccines to health care workers; long-term care facility residents and employees; education workers; childcare workers; food service workers; emergency services workers and people age 65 and up, by appointment only. Some education workers are also eligible for vaccinations through their places of employment.
Those eligible to receive their first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine can register online or by phone for San Luis Obispo County’s vaccine appointment lottery.
To register for the lottery, go to www.RecoverSLO.org/VaccineAppointments and complete the registration form. Those without internet access or who have difficulty with the online form can call 805-543-2444 or 805-781-4280 and an operator can help them.
To sign up for email alerts, visit EmergencySLO.org/en/newsletter.aspx.
In addition to San Luis Obispo County’s vaccine appointment lottery, appointments for coronavirus vaccines can be made through Dignity Health, Tenet Health Central Coast and chain pharmacies including CVS and Vons.
This story was originally published March 18, 2021 at 11:54 AM.
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