 Dear SFVAHCS Veteran,
We wanted to update you on both the remarkable successes and some challenges of our vaccine roll-out the past two weeks. Similar to what has been experienced across the country in other healthcare systems, our vaccine operations and carefully thought-out priority tiers have been impacted by an overall shortage of vaccine.
Over the past few weeks, we quickly and efficiently vaccinated over 1,800 Veterans, including those age 75 years and older, on hemodialysis, living in the Community Living Center, or considered at highest risk due to severe immunosuppression. We also stood up a mass vaccination clinic on Saturday, Jan. 23 at the San Francisco VA Medical Center (SFVAMC), where we vaccinated 400 Veterans, and rapidly deployed vaccines to our community-based outpatient clinics.
This week we were met with a deficit of several hundred vaccines – and have learned that our supply for the next month will be only 500 doses per week. These are for first doses and will be divided between SFVAMC and the clinics. This significantly limits our ability to continue vaccinating at a rapid pace. There are about 8,000 Veterans in the current vaccination tier (Veterans age 75 years and older), and it will take us about 12 weeks to finish vaccinating that group before expanding to Veterans age 65 years and older. Anyone who has received a first dose is guaranteed a second dose and we have ample supply for those scheduled.
If you are age 75 years or older and would like to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, please call 415-750-2204 to schedule your appointment at SFVAMC. Or, to receive your vaccine at your local VA clinic, please call the appropriate phone number below. NO DROP-IN VISITS WILL BE ACCEPTED. PLEASE MAKE AN APPOINTMENT.
- San Bruno - 650-615-6000
- Downtown San Francisco - 415-281-5100
- Santa Rosa - 707-569-2300
- Clearlake - 707-995-7200
- Ukiah - 707-468-7700
- Eureka - 707-269-7500
Learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine at: https://www.va.gov/health-care/covid-19-vaccine/
We thank you for your patience as we work as quickly as possible to vaccinate all of our Veterans.
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