About 3,200 Eligible People in SLO County Can Get First Dose of COVID-19 Vaccine Next Week
The County is making progress through Phase 1b of its COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan and began vaccinating community members who are 65 and older late last week. Due to supply shortages, the County has enough vaccine at this time to provide about 3,200 first doses by appointment only at its COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic at Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo next week. The County will also provide more than 5,000 second doses by appointment only at its three clinics in Arroyo Grande, Paso Robles, and San Luis Obispo next week.
Appointments will open online tomorrow (Thursday, Feb. 18) at 9 a.m., with additional appointments added on weekday mornings as supply allows. Until local supply increases, if you can safely stay home and avoid COVID-19 exposure, please allow those who are most at risk for exposure or serious health outcomes to make an appointment first.
In a time of crisis, it is easy for misinformation to overwhelm the truth. Let's bust some common COVID-19 vaccine myths.
Fiction: There are leftover vaccines at the end of the day, and you can walk up to get one. Fact: Leftover doses will not be administered to people who show up without an appointment at the end of the day expecting vaccine. County-run vaccine clinics are carefully managed to fill empty appointment slots and avoid waste.
Fiction:If you make an appointment and are not eligible, you will still get the vaccine. Fact: Vaccine clinic staff will politely turn you away if you make an appointment but are not eligible to receive a vaccine at this time. With limited vaccine supply, the County is first vaccinating those most at risk for exposure and serious health outcomes.
Fiction:You are immediately protected against COVID-19 once vaccinated. Fact: Protection begins to build soon after you receive the first dose but full efficacy comes about two weeks after you receive your second dose of vaccine. Even then, it’s important to remember that getting vaccinated is not an immediate cure-all and you must continue to take measures to protect yourself and those around you.
Here’s your weekly dose of vaccine clinic positivity!
Dean, 76, gets his first shot of #COVID19 vaccine from Fire Engineer Nate Bass, a 15-year veteran of Paso Robles Fire.
Dean stated, “The more people we get vaccinated, the quicker we get back to normal. We're on the road to opening businesses and restaurants and getting our economy back."
Thank you to Nate and Dean for being #VaccineChampions!
Super Staff Shoutout🙌
Not all heroes wear capes. Some sit behind a computer.
From internal dashboards to external appointment systems, Dan, Jon and Robyn (pictured here) from our Emergency Operations Information Technology (IT) team have been working long hours to bring IT solutions to fruition in the COVID-19 pandemic response. Likewise, the small but mighty web team of Tyler, Carolyn, Victor, and Anita (not pictured) help us prepare, secure, monitor, and support the web infrastructure to manage the massive spikes in vaccine appointment traffic.
Shoutout to this dedicated crew who continue to innovate and adapt. Our team couldn't do what we do without them.
Your Questions Answered
How Do I Make an Appointment?
Every week, appointments will open for the following week. If you are eligible to make an appointment, please take these steps:
Remember, because vaccine supply is still very limited, not everyone who is eligible will be able to make an appointment right away. Please be patient and continue to check back. If you’re able to safely wait a little longer for your vaccine, please do – so those most at risk can go first.
Visit www.RecoverSLO.org/VaccineAppointments on weekday mornings and click the button on the page to check for any available appointments.(NOTE: If too many people are visiting the page at the same time, you will be placed in a virtual waiting room after you click this button. Do not refresh or close this page, as the system will automatically push you through to the appointment reservation form.)
Select your desired location. (Note: First doses are not available every week at every site. For the week of Feb. 22, the clinic at Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo is the only site offering first doses of the vaccine.)
Fill out the online form with all of the required information; be sure to select a date and time for your appointment.
Click submit.
Review your confirmation email to make sure your appointment details are correct. (Note: You will receive a confirmation email within 24 hours of booking your appointment and again one day before your appointment, if you provided an email address; if you did not provide an email address, you will not get a confirmation email.)
If you have trouble with any of these steps, you may find answers online at RecoverSLO.org/Vaccine or call the County's Phone Assistance Center for help at 805-543-2444 or 805-781-4280. Due to a high volume of calls, you may be placed on hold for several minutes or up to one hour until a representative is available to assist you. Thank you for your patience.
How Do I Get my Second Dose of Vaccine?
We will notify you (by email, text message, or phone call) about one month after your first dose with instructions to reserve your second-dose appointment. Because vaccine supply is limited, second-dose appointments may not be available on the exact day that you are eligible. But don't worry; getting your second dose a few weeks later than expected is not detrimental to your health in any way and will not require you to start the series over. Thank you for your patience and understanding while we administer vaccine as quickly and efficiently as possible.
What Do I Need to Bring to my Vaccine Appointment to Show that I am Eligible?
Eligible residents age 65 and older should bring:
Document showing your age (drivers’ license, state ID, passport, etc.)
Document showing that you currently live in SLO County (drivers’ license, state ID, copy of your lease, a piece of official mail, etc.)
Note: Immigration status is not checked at any time during appointment scheduling, vaccination or follow-up. Only proof of age and current residency in SLO County, or proof of employment in Phase 1a, is required. Learn more here.
Some sit behind a computer.
