FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 13, 2021
For More
Information, Contact:
Jamie Livingston
(408) 299-5050 office
(408) 309-6418 cell
jamie.livingston@bos.sccgov.org
SUPERVISORS PRESS FOR COUNTY-WIDE VACCINE PLANS
SAN JOSE – The proposal by Santa
Clara County Supervisors Joe Simitian and Cindy Chavez to require large healthcare systems operating within
Santa Clara County to produce written plans and timelines for COVID-19 vaccine
distribution passed 5-0 at Tuesday’s Board of Supervisor’s meeting.
“I know it’s a big lift
to collect and coordinate these plans, but the public shouldn’t be sitting
around wondering when and where they can be vaccinated as they were with
testing,” said Simitian. “And time is of the essence. We can’t afford to lose a month; we can’t
afford to lose a week; we can’t afford to lose a single day.”
Simitian said he was
pleased with the recent public health order from the County’s Public Health
Department which was issued following the proposal from Simitian and Chavez.
“It’s a really solid start,” he noted, “in that it requires plans from Kaiser,
Sutter Health/PAMF, Stanford and the County itself by February 1. Ensuring we
have a coordinated, comprehensive, and transparent set of plans reduces the
chance for anyone to get left behind. All of us have a shared interest in the
health and wellbeing of others.”
“Our hospitals are
already stretched thin, with bed capacity at an all-time low. As a county we have lost more than 950 people
to COVID-19 while the state has seen over 31,000 COVID-related deaths,”
continued Simitian. “The vaccines are critical to stemming the spread of the
virus. ‘We’ll get there eventually’ didn’t work out well with testing, and it
won’t work now.”
The Board conversation
on Tuesday acknowledged the rapidly changing direction from the state and
federal governments, as well as the logistical and bureaucratic challenges of
the vaccine rollout, including the lack of a thoughtful national plan that
outlines how vaccines will be distributed and administered. In Santa Clara
County, a patchwork system produces even more uncertainty, leading to the
potential for disparities in the quality and clarity of information provided to
the public, not to mention the opportunity for inconsistent or incomplete
roll-out of vaccinations.
Board members agreed
with Simitian and Chavez that detailed plans and timelines that are public and
coordinated can reduce confusion, instill confidence, and, most importantly,
get the job done in a timely, fair, efficient, and life-saving fashion.
Vaccines are slated for
delivery by the State directly to Kaiser Permanente and Sutter Health/Palo Alto
Medical Foundation (by virtue of their status as multi-county entities), rather
than through the County’s distribution system. These two providers alone serve about
half of the County’s two million residents. Additionally, there are other significant
private or not-for-profit healthcare providers (including Stanford Healthcare
and El Camino Health), among others, who are not multi-county entities. Most of
them will receive their vaccines through the County for their patients. An
added challenge will be reaching the so-called missing middle of
healthcare—folks who may not have a regular healthcare provider or “medical
home.”
“Given all this,” said
Simitian, “our only chance of success is a set of clearly defined plans
designed to complement one another, and to cover the entire County.”
The required plans
should include information on how people, including those who do not receive
healthcare from these large healthcare systems, will find out about their
ability to get vaccinated, and how available vaccines will be distributed
efficiently, consistent with federal and state guidelines. Contingency plans
for unexpected situations such as broken freezers or “extra” doses of thawed
vaccines should also be addressed in the plan(s).
“Most people have a
very simple set of questions,” said Simitian. “When, where and how do I get the
vaccine? Every plan should answer those questions.”
The County
Administration and County Counsel are scheduled to provide a report back to the
Board of Supervisors at its January 26, 2021 regularly scheduled meeting.
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