Santa Clara County officials announced Thursday that all county residents 65 and older can get vaccinated against COVID-19, regardless of their insurance or health care provider.
The "no wrong door" strategy is set up to ensure that county residents who are most vulnerable to the virus receive a vaccine as fast and as easy as possible.
"The state’s complex vaccine distribution and allocation system, combined with vaccine supply shortages, has led to an uneven vaccine rollout across the county depending on where people get their medical care," County Executive Dr. Jeff Smith said in a statement. "The 'no wrong door' approach we are implementing is designed to get available vaccines into arms as quickly and equitably as possible in order to save lives."
According to the county, 81% of COVID-19-related deaths in the county have been people 65 and older.
"We must prioritize vaccinating those at greatest risk of death or serious illness,” County Health Officer Dr. Sara Cody said in a statement. "We are anxious to vaccinate a much broader segment of the population and are ready to do so as soon as vaccine supplies allow."
County residents are encouraged to visit sccfreevax.org to make vaccine appointments.
