What Is Causing California's Slow Vaccine Rollout?
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — California's slow vaccine rollout is now notorious to neighbors waiting in line at Cal Expo where a mass vaccine site is open, but not for everyone.
Shots are being given to only those on the front lines.
"I feel like the vaccination process here in California is going slower than anticipated by a lot of people," said one person waiting in line.
But when the state's figures show only 31% of the vaccines received have been given, some are struggling to wrap their head around why.
Leaders with the California Department of Public Health say they're not part of the "direct distribution process," and vaccines go directly from the manufacturer to every county.
"It just needs to be rolled out quicker in California, I just don't understand what the slow-moving is all about," the person said.
When CBS13 asked what the state is doing to speed up the distribution and meet supply demands in California, CDPH said in part that they've trained 100,000 "vaccinators" across the state in an effort to move things quicker.
This comes just as the state announced they'll widen the net and offer vaccines to anyone over the age of 65.
But infectious disease experts tracking the vaccines say most counties are still vaccinating their first phase: front line workers.
"What the governor has done is basically opened it up, but it still depends on a county by county basis on what the priority is," says Dr. Jeffrey Klausner with UCLA.
Sacramento County now asking those 65 and older to wait to get a vaccine. In Yolo County, leaders say demand far exceeds supply.
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