State answers Sonoma County request for more COVID vaccine

Sonoma County has received a significant increase in COVID vaccines from the state, including a shipment of Johnson & Johnson doses specifically for the County’s effort to distribute the vaccine equitably to the most vulnerable communities.

The increase, announced today, is a direct result of an appeal that the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors made to the state.

The Board on March 27 sent a letter to state health leaders appealing for an increase. Yolanda Richardson, Secretary of the Government Operations Agency for the State of California, responded directly to the request by, among other things, promising that Sonoma County will receive an extra supply of 1,500 Johnson & Johnson vaccines to help the County achieve its equity objectives.

“We have been concerned that our allocations from the state had remained flat for weeks,” said Lynda Hopkins, Chair of the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors. “This limited supply was unacceptable to us, especially since we have built a network of vaccination clinics that can administer six times that amount.”

“Now, thanks to this surge in doses, we will continue to prioritize our equity efforts as we distribute the vaccine to the most vulnerable and under-served communities,” Hopkins said.

The state this week increased Sonoma County’s supply from around 12,000 first and second doses to nearly 17,000 total doses. This includes the extra 1,500 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, nearly doubling the supply of the single-shot vaccine that the County has received to date.

The County is allocating 1,200 of these Johnson & Johnson doses to the six federally qualified health centers in the County, which have been among the community’s best partners in maintaining an equitable vaccine campaign. The County is also sending 300 of these doses to Cheryl Fox of Fox Home Health, which is working to vaccinate the homeless population and home-bound seniors.

A total of 318,588 vaccine doses have been administered in Sonoma County, including 120,688 residents who have been fully vaccinated and 84,542 residents partially vaccinated. Half of the County’s 16 and older population had received at least one dose.

For more information on the COVID vaccine in Sonoma County, including eligibility and clinics, visit SoCoEmergency.org/vaccine.