Coronavirus SF: March 15, 2021 Update
Hello coronavirus-sf subscribers!
The vaccination rate is definitely ramping up, just as the virus growth rates in the SF Bay Area (and across the USA) continue to taper. This is not just a lucky coincidence. I’ve been feeling very grateful for all the work from the scientists, healthcare workers, government employees, and more who’ve helped get us to where we are today!
Over 30% of San Francisco residents age 16+ have gotten the first dose of the vaccine (sfgov.org). Today, I joined this group. The timing was a bit unexpected. I’m part of several paid & volunteer efforts that qualify me under the “Education & childcare” category (which became vaccine eligible in Feb). However, I didn’t search for a vaccine appointment until a few days ago — after helping my age 65+ parents book appointments in their home state of Virginia. My parents were vaccine hesitant, and so needed some vaccination nudges (that progressively got more forceful 😅).
The process of booking a vaccine appointment can feel like trying to get a grocery delivery window earlier in the pandemic. Nothing had seemed available in SF, and I browsed the laundry list of tips at https://itsmyshot.weebly.com/ to try to figure things out. Then, this past weekend, the large vaccination site at SF Moscone Center must have refreshed their supply, because full days of appointment windows opened via https://myturn.ca.gov/. I gathered up documentation for my eligibility (and spent 7+ hours refreshing education-related training), and walked to the Moscone Center for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine earlier today. It was an exciting experience, though at times did feel like a very fancy DMV (but faster!). For efficiency reasons, staff members weren’t verifying eligibility documentation. I got to the vaccination location 15 minutes before my appointment, and was done in 1 hour (including 15 minutes of post-vaccination waiting for any adverse reactions). According to one staff member, ~7,000 people got vaccinated at Moscone today, and no one had adverse reactions. The volunteer doctor who vaccinated me also helpfully suggested that I exercise my upper body (esp deltoid muscles) to disperse the vaccine and also reduce muscle soreness. I had her demonstrate an exercise for me. 💪 At Moscone, it might also be possible to do a non-appointment/walk-in (there was a line outside for this), though I don’t know how many people they can vaccinate each day from the walk-in line.
Overall, I’m happy with the city’s vaccine distribution efforts. The city didn’t have to open Moscone Center or other locations as vaccination sites (alternatives include pharmacies and hospitals), but I think the sites are definitely helpful. And now that I’m more familiar with the vaccination process, I’m also more prepared to help some elderly folks in SF book and get to their appointments. There’s no good reason to be vaccine hesitant. Just get the vaccine when you can! (In Mississippi and Alaska, everyone is now eligible! Seems like the plan is to have everyone in the USA eligible by May 1 which is in 1.5 months!)
I’ve started asking people: what will you miss about the pandemic? Let me know if you have thoughts!
— Xian
Originally published at https://mailchi.mp.
