Vaccine development and testing are proceeding rapidly in the U.S. and are beginning to receive vaccines approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for emergency use and for distribution throughout the population, first in limited amounts to carefully selected high risk groups and later to more and more people until everyone has access to the vaccine in what is called a "phased approach" to vaccine distribution.
A COVID-19 vaccine is a very important tool to help end the COVID-19 pandemic. Visit https://covid19.ca.gov/vaccines/ for information on the State’s plan for distribution in California.
How are COVID-19 Vaccines being distributed to Orange County?
January 22, 2021
- Othena.com platform continues to undergo updates to address technical issues and improve the customer experience. The new registration and appointment process prioritizes eligible individuals for appointments per State guidelines, eligibility factors, and registration time.
- As vaccine supply to Orange County increases, more people will be able to schedule appointments. Since January 1, 2021, more than 416,000 people have registered with the Othena.com platform. 56,783 people have received a vaccination, and 62,316 have scheduled vaccination appointments.
- Volunteers are needed to support County Vaccine locations, for both medical roles and non-medical positions. Please register at https://oneoc.org/.
How to Get Vaccinated:
Individuals who live or work in Orange County, CA can register online through www.Othena.com to view available appointments and to keep informed with upcoming availability. The success of the County’s implementation of the phased, tiered vaccination plan depends on everyone being patient and allowing priority groups to be vaccinated first. Currently, appointments will be provided only to the following prioritized groups:
- Phase 1A populations (all tiers)
- Law enforcement working in high-risk settings
- Adults age 65 or older
Othena is a vaccine scheduling system created by CuraPatient, in conjunction with leading health care experts and public health agencies.
Volunteers are needed to support County Vaccine locations, see details HERE. Please register at https://oneoc.org/.
A COVID-19 vaccine is a very important tool to help end the COVID-19 pandemic. Visit https://covid19.ca.gov/vaccines/ for information on the State’s plan for distribution in California.
Here is what we know so far:
- County of Orange Press Release, 1/20/21, County of Orange Adds Second Regional COVID-19 Vaccine Super POD Site. The County of Orange is opening its second regional COVID-19 Vaccine Super Point of Dispensing (POD) site at Soka University in Aliso Viejo on Saturday, January 23, 2021, starting at 8:00 am. READ MORE
- CDPH Press Release, 1/20/21, California State Epidemiologist Issues Update on Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine. Providers that Paused Use of Moderna Lot 41L20A COVID-19 Vaccine Can Immediately Resume Administering Doses READ MORE
- CDPH, 1/17/21, California State Epidemiologist Statement Recommending Providers Pause Administration of Single Lot of Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine. California State Epidemiologist Dr. Erica S. Pan issued the following statement today recommending providers pause the administration of lot 41L20A of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine due to possible allergic reactions that are under investigation.
"Our goal is to provide the COVID vaccine safely, swiftly and equitably," said Dr. Pan. "A higher-than-usual number of possible allergic reactions were reported with a specific lot of Moderna vaccine administered at one community vaccination clinic. Fewer than 10 individuals required medical attention over the span of 24 hours. READ MORE
- OC Register, 1/15/21, Why can’t I get an appointment in OC? And more questions about COVID-19 vaccinations. READ MORE
- Kaiser Health News, 1/15/21, J&J Forecasts March Approval For Its Single-Dose Vaccine. While J&J expects to release trial results in the next two weeks, the vaccine maker also says that it is behind in its promised production schedule. READ MORE
- COVID-19 VACCINATIONS AT DISNEYLAND RESORT SUPER POD SITE BY APPOINTMENT ONLY, 1/12/21, Individuals without appointments, even if they are within an eligible group, are urged not to come to the Disneyland Resort Super POD vaccination site without an appointment. READ MORE
- OC Health Care Agency Press Release, 1/12/21, County Health Officer Opens COVID-19 Vaccine to Residents Ages 65 and Older. READ MORE
- County of Orange Press Release, 1/11/21, County of Orange Announces First Regional COVID-19 Super POD at Disneyland Resort. In a vital step to help battle the spread of COVID-19, the County of Orange has established the first large Point-of-Dispensing (POD) site to provide covid-19 vaccines to residents at Disneyland Resort in Anaheim. READ MORE
- California Department of Public Health Press Release, 1/7/21, State Issues Recommendations to Local Health Departments and Provider to Accelerate Safe Vaccine Administration Statement. READ MORE
- County of Orange Press Release, 1/7/21, County of Orange Activates Incident Management Team, Plans for Regional COVID-19 Vaccine Supersites. The County of Orange is proactively leading Orange County’s response to COVID-19. The next critical phase is providing the vaccine to residents in a phased, tiered approach. READ MORE
- NPR, 1/1/21, Why the COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Has Gotten Off To A Slow Start, The campaign to vaccinate Americans against COVID-19 is getting off to a slower start than officials had hoped - much slower. Here's a key number - in recent weeks, about 3 million people received their first shots of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. But that's far short of what officials had forecast - that 20 million Americans would be vaccinated by now. READ MORE
COVID-19 Vaccine Newsletter
- Herd Immunity is Only Possible with a Vaccine by Bernadette Boden-Ablala, MPH, DrPH; Dan M. Cooper MD; Clayton Chau, MD, PhD; Casey Dorman, PhD
- There has been much debate around the concept of herd immunity since the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a public health term, the idea of herd immunity is that if enough people are protected against an infection because they have been exposed and developed antibodies, transmission of the infection slows and ultimately new outbreaks are halted because much of the population is no longer susceptible. Some people suggest that COVID-19 can best be controlled by allowing the virus to run its course and achieve enough numbers of infected persons to reach herd immunity. We suggest that there is some confusion about the use of this term and that there are strong reasons for not pursuing that approach. READ MORE
- Trust the Truth: Not the Myths by Casey Dorman, PhD (Updated 1/11/21)
- With several COVID 19 vaccine approvals on the horizon, dispelling misinformation about vaccines that may appear on the internet will be important for you to make an informed decision about the COVID vaccine. READ MORE
Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) – Key Vaccine Topics:
- 10 Things Healthcare Professionals Need to Know
- Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) COVID-19 Vaccine Guidelines
- Benefits of Getting a COVID-19 Vaccine
- COVID-19 Vaccination Health Systems Communications Toolkit
- Facts About COVID-19 Vaccines
- Frequently Asked Questions
- How CDC is Making COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
- Vaccination Considerations for Persons with Underlying Medical Conditions
- When Vaccine is Limited, Who Gets Vaccinated First?
