Press release from the City of Manhattan Beach:
01/15/2021
The distribution of COVID-19 vaccines is currently being managed by Los Angeles County and healthcare providers, however, the City is currently in communication with the County to ensure vaccine distribution can be executed toward the general public in the future. At this point, the vaccine will be offered to different groups of people at different times (or phases). For more information on these phases, the Department of Public Health has established a webpage that outlines the established phases, thus far.
Who makes the decisions about how vaccines are distributed?
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) is an independent panel of medical and public health experts brought together by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to make recommendations about vaccine policies. The ACIP recommends to the CDC which people should be in each phase. While states often follow the ACIP recommendations, final decisions about when different groups will get the vaccine are made by each state. In California, those decisions are being made by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH). The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health refines the state’s plan and decides exactly how each phase of vaccine distribution will be carried out: where vaccines will be given, who will be giving the vaccines, and how the county will make sure everyone has a chance to get a vaccine when it is offered to people in their phase.
Distribution Phases and Tiers
The supply of COVID-19 vaccines will be limited for the first few months. This means that the vaccine will be offered to different groups of people at different times. When enough vaccine is ready, it will be offered to everyone. Please see the phases below for estimated time frames*. The phases will overlap so, for example, a person in Phase 1A may get their second dose of vaccine at the same time as a person in Phase 1B gets their first dose. Please be aware that Los Angeles County will not begin vaccinating people age 65 and older until we complete vaccinations for healthcare workers and receive more vaccine from the State to vaccinate this new priority group.
Phase 1A – Offered Vaccine Now
Vaccination began in mid-December. It is estimated that everyone in Phase 1A will have been offered at least one dose of vaccine by late January/early February.
Tier 1
- Healthcare workers and residents of skilled nursing facilities (SNFs)
- Healthcare workers and residents of other long-term care facilities (facilities that provide medical and personal care to adults, such as assisted living facilities and similar settings for older or medically vulnerable individuals, and special needs group living facilities)
- Healthcare workers in:
- Acute care hospitals
- Acute psychiatric hospitals
- Correctional facility hospitals
- Dialysis centers
- Emergency medical services, including EMTs and Paramedics
- Infusion/oncology centers
- Residential and inpatient substance use disorder (SUD) treatment facilities
- Residential and inpatient mental health facilities
Tier 2
- Healthcare Workers in:
- Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) contracted Short-Term Residential Therapeutic Programs (STRTP) and Transitional Shelter Care Program Facilities (TSCF)
- Department of Mental Health
- Home healthcare organizations and home health agencies (in-home supportive service personnel)
- Intermediate care facilities (for persons who need non-continuous nursing supervision and supportive care)
- Outpatient substance use disorder (SUD) treatment, mental health facilities, and crisis stabilization units
- Public Health field staff who have face to face contact with patients/public (e.g. during testing, contact tracing, outbreak investigations)
- Primary care clinics, including Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), rural health centers, and correctional facility clinics
- Urgent care clinics
- Office of Diversion and Re-entry (ODR)
- Medical shelters
- Sheltered and Unsheltered settings who are providing direct clinical care for people experiencing homelessness
- Field-based community health workers, including promotoras (including those involved with testing, contact tracing, or supportive services to persons with suspected or confirmed COVID-19)
- Regional Centers
- Outreach workers who have face-to-face contact with people experiencing homelessness
Tier 3
- Healthcare Workers in:
- Acupuncturists
- Chiropractors
- COVID-19 Testing
- Death Care (mortuaries)
- Dental and Other Oral Health Clinics
- Laboratories
- Occupational Health
- Optometry Clinics
- Pharmacies (if not working in settings at higher tiers)
- Physical Therapists/Occupational Therapists (if not working in settings at higher tiers)
- School and University Health Centers
- Specialty Clinics
- Speech Therapists
- Surgery Centers
What if I fall into Phase 1A? How can I get vaccinated?
There are different ways for you to access vaccination depending on your workplace:
- If you work in hospital or a skilled nursing facility (SNF), you should be vaccinated by the hospital or SNF. As long as you regularly work there (at least once per week), you should be vaccinated by the facility. This is the case even if you are an unpaid worker (e.g. volunteer), a part-time or temporary worker, or if you are employed by another agency (e.g. contractor).
- If you work in a clinic that is affiliated with a hospital, you should be vaccinated by the hospital.
- If you work in an assisted living facility or other long-term care facility, you should be vaccinated on-site at your workplace through a pharmacy partnership with CVS and Walgreens. Note: If this program has not started at your worksite, you may make an appointment at a DPH vaccination site..
- If you are not affiliated with an acute care hospital, skilled nursing facility, or other long-term care facility, you can make an appointment to be vaccinated through this website. LAC DPH is partnering with county, city, community, and healthcare partners to provide vaccination at community clinics, pharmacies, and special vaccination sites. While any Phase 1A healthcare worker is eligible to attend these sites, they are intended for those HCW without other access to vaccine.
Phase 1B – Vaccine is Not Yet Available
It is estimated that vaccination will begin for those in Phase 1B in early February and that everyone in this phase should have been offered at least one dose of vaccine by late March.
1B Tier 1
- Persons 65 years and older
- Those at risk of exposure at work in the following sectors:
- Education
- Childcare
- Emergency services
- Food and agriculture
1B Tier 2
- Those at risk of exposure at work in the following sectors:
- Transportation and logistics
- Industrial, commercial, residential, and sheltering facilities and services
- Critical manufacturing
- Congregate settings with outbreak risk: incarcerated and homeless
Phase 1C – Vaccine is Not Yet Available
It is estimated that vaccination will begin for those in Phase 1C in March and that everyone in this phase should have been offered at least one dose of vaccine by late April/early May*.
The following prioritization is from the California COVID-19 Vaccine Plan
- Persons 50-64 years old
- People 16-49 years of age and have an underlying health condition or disability which increases their risk of severe COVID-19
- Those at risk of exposure at work in the following sectors:
- Water and wastewater
- Defense
- Energy
- Chemical and hazardous materials
- Communications and IT
- Financial services
- Government operations / community-based essential functions
Phase 2 – Vaccine is Not Yet Available
It is estimated that vaccination will begin for those in Phase 2 by mid-May or early June*.
- Persons 16-49 years old without high-risk medical conditions
More information
8.5.6
This press release was produced by the City of Manhattan Beach. The views expressed are the author’s own.
