蜜柚直播

Dr. Cara Christ, the state health director, said Friday she is looking at allowing walk-ins, at least at state-run inoculation sites.

That would allow people to avoid the issues of trying to get an appointment online or through a phone line. And those portals provide access only to state-operated sites.

Getting an appointment elsewhere, including pharmacies and grocery chains, requires individuals to go to each facility鈥檚 specific website to set up a time.

All this comes as the latest figures show that just a quarter of 蜜柚直播ns are fully immunized, though 37% have gotten at least one dose of a two-shot routine.

Christ said those figures are a bit misleading as they are based on the total number of 蜜柚直播ns. But the vaccines now available are approved only for those either 16 or 18 years and older, depending on the manufacturer.

鈥淚t鈥檚 actually a little bit better when you look at the eligible population,鈥欌�� she said. And Christ said she is counting on many of those folks who have gotten their first dose coming back as scheduled in three weeks.

Still, the health chief acknowledged that still leaves 蜜柚直播 far below where she said the state needs to be to have 鈥渉erd immunity,鈥欌�� the point at which enough people are inoculated to prevent wholesale spread. Christ has previously put that at 70%.

While some of that may be based on 鈥渧accine hesitancy,鈥欌�� there鈥檚 also that question of convenience.

The concept of walk-up COVID vaccination is not new.

Philadelphia found a sharp increase in inoculations after some groups there reserved vaccines for those who can just stop by. That also helped close the gap on racial disparities as the Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium found it was reaching people who were computer illiterate or had other issues.

There also were positive results in reaching minorities at sites run by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

蜜柚直播, said Christ, will be following suit.

鈥淵ou鈥檒l start to see that happening,鈥欌�� she said, particularly as the demand for appointments goes down at the state-run sites. Christ said that鈥檚 already happening, with a 鈥渟ignificant decrease鈥欌�� in requests at both the University of 蜜柚直播 and the Yuma Civic Center.

鈥淭hey are going to start looking at taking in walk-ins, just letting people come in and get the vaccine whenever they are available, not based on an appointment,鈥欌�� Christ said. And she said that also is going to happen elsewhere at state-run sites as demand for appointments tapers off.

But that鈥檚 not all. Christ said she anticipates that also will start to happen at community 鈥減op-up鈥欌�� locations, short-term sites at specific locations.

There鈥檚 something else at play, albeit a bit longer term, that also will allow for more on-demand immunization.

鈥淎s they get more vaccine, the federal partners will open up that ordering so that health care providers will just be able to order it just like they do all the other vaccines,鈥欌�� Christ said. And that will make the vaccine available in doctors鈥� offices.

鈥淲e do know that our medical providers play a large role in people trusting and getting vaccinated,鈥欌�� she continued.

鈥淪o they can say, 鈥業鈥檝e got the vaccine, I recommend it, here鈥檚 the reasons it鈥檚 safe, and we can just get it to you today,鈥欌�� Christ explained. 鈥淭hat reduces barriers and gives our health care community more opportunities to vaccinate.鈥欌��

The ease of getting inoculated could become more important now that Pfizer, one of the three companies authorized to manufacture vaccine for use in the United States, is saying it is 鈥渓ikely鈥欌�� that people will need a third dose within 12 months of getting fully vaccinated. And Albert Bourla, the company鈥檚 CEO, also said it is possible there will need to be an annual vaccination.

Christ said there are ongoing evaluations of how long the vaccine鈥檚 effects will last.

She said it is known it does provide protection for at least six months. That, the health director said, means there may need to be a booster. And that presents its own logistical issues, especially if the state has to once again set up inoculation sites.

鈥淲hat we hope is by the time people would need a potential booster that we would have enough vaccine to where it鈥檚 in health-care providers鈥� offices, that it鈥檚 in all of the pharmacies across the state,鈥� she said. 鈥淎nd it would just become a normal thing just like your annual flu shot.鈥�

All this is occurring against the backdrop of both Christ鈥檚 agency and the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control urging providers to pause the use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. That followed reports of six cases in the United States 鈥� none in 蜜柚直播 鈥� where those who got the single-dose vaccine developed blood clots.

Christ said that was done out of an abundance of caution as federal officials said they want to 鈥渢ake a pause, see if any more cases occur to see if they can get more data to make clearer recommendations.鈥�

But she also said this amounts to one case out of every million doses administered. And she noted that there are a certain number of these blood clots that occur even in non-vaccinated people.