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Residents of San Mateo County, 12 years and above, are now required to schedule an appointment to receive COVID-19 vaccinations as the County has seen an increased demand for booster shots, according to San Mateo County health authorities.
The demand has prompted San Mateo County to require appointments for those 12 and over getting shots at the county-operated vaccine clinic at the San Mateo County Event Center at 1346 Saratoga Drive in San Mateo. According to the County, walk-ups will be turned away, and appointments are available through the state vaccination registration site.
The requirement for appointments comes as the United States reports its first positive case of the new omicron variant in San Francisco.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the person who returned from a trip to South Africa on Nov. 22, was fully vaccinated and had mild symptoms that are already improving. The CDC reported that since testing positive, the person has been self-quarantining, and all of their close contacts tested negative.
Still, little is known about the newly discovered COVID-19 variant, which was first detected last month in Botswana and South Africa.
“We’re obviously very concerned,” said Preston Merchant, Communications Officer for the San Mateo County Health Department. “We don’t know about the transmissibility or the severity of the omicron variant… We expect to have more information from the CDC and other state and federal bodies in the coming days and weeks.”
The University of California, San Francisco, conducted genomic sequencing on the case that the CDC confirmed was consistent with the omicron variant, which the World Health Organization (WHO) just last week classified as a “Variant of Concern” for COVID-19. According to WHO, the variant has many mutations, which suggest that it may increase the risk of reinfection or resistance to the vaccine.
Echoing a statement to the Pulse from Louise Rogers, San Mateo County Health Chief, Merchant said that the County is “continuing to emphasize vaccination and getting boosters as the best way to protect yourself and your loved ones from COVID generally, and certainly from the omicron variant.”
Rogers added in her statement, “getting tested if you are experiencing symptoms and staying home if you are ill are also important tools for limiting the potential spread and protecting the community.”
Kaiser Redwood City issued a statement supporting vaccinations and boosters as the best protective measures against COVID-19 and its variants.
“In addition to vaccination, Kaiser Permanente joins state and federal health officials in recommending continued key prevention measures such as wearing a mask in public indoor settings, frequent handwashing, getting tested at the first sign of symptoms, and staying home when sick,” they said in a statement. More information and vaccine appointments are available here.
Next steps
According to Merchant, even San Mateo County Health Department members have struggled to find available appointments in recent weeks.
Residents can still get first and second vaccine doses at the drive-through clinic, as well as boosters for people 18 and older. But the County warned that people should expect a wait, even with an appointment. Boosters are also available at community clinics, health care providers and pharmacies, many of which do not require an appointment. A schedule of county-operated clinics can be found here.
The children’s clinic, located at the event center, will continue to offer pediatric vaccines (ages 5-11). Walk-ins are accepted, but appointments made through MyTurn are strongly encouraged.
Merchant said the county mask mandate will remain in effect for at least the next five or six weeks, and no additional restrictions are currently being considered. “We think that the measures that we have in place will hold for a while,” he said.
Bay City News contributed to this report.
