LA Region Getting Short Stick, As The Already-Tiny Trickle Of Vaccine Diminishes
Written by 991KBU on February 11, 2021
Orderly chaos surrounds vaccine distribution in our area.
Not enough vaccine … and fluctuating supplies coming from the federal and dstate governments … and contradicting statements.
First the county of Los Angeles ran out … no new appointments.
Then … the city of Los Angeles had thousands of appointments go unfiulled at Dodger Stadium.
Yesterday … it was chaos at Dodger Stadium … as thousands of people went there.
The basic facts are these:
Malibu is wealthy .. peoplke are isolating … our community is not in as much need as poorer communities in the area.
And due to its size alone … the gigantic city of Los Angeles is in the drivers seat for vaccine distribution for all of the region … Malibu included.
And Los Angeles is getting shorted by the state and federal governments.
L A Mayor Eric Garcetti … speaking live on L A television last night … said LA got only 16 thousand doses from the feds this week … after getting 90 thousand doses the week before.
NEWSCART 73259 GARCETTI MOMENT OF OUR NEED
“The 16 thousand doses is what we burn through on an average day … and now we’ve received that for an entire week.
“That is unacceptable.
“I am not here to point fingers … I am here as always to be a partner.
“But I want to make one thing clear.
“Los Angeles needs more doses.
“In fact in a briefing from our county partners this morning … we learned that other cities … with smaller populations … are receiving more doses than our entire county with a ;larger population .
“When we look to places that have lower cases … we see 50 percent more doses going to other cities.
“I don’t want to take a single dose away from them.
“But it is only fair that Los Angeles gets a steady supply to meet the moment of our need.”
This is the first time that a prominent leader in our region has pointed out the obvious … to anyone reading news accounts from other parts of the state.
L A … and Malibu by extension … is getting shorted.
Garcetti says the city of L A’s massive effort has distributed 98 percent of what has come in.
But they have run out.
The infrastructure … in the City of Los Angeles alone … is still there to crank up … the moment more vaccine arrives.
NEWSCART 73258 GARCETTI MILLION VACCINATIONS BY JULY
“The good news is this:
“To anyone who gives us the supply, we will get the job done.
“Let me repeat that.
“Give us more doses and we will get them into arms as quickly as our 98 percent rate shows.
“In fact … if you give us the supply .. we have worked and done the calculations … the City of LA sites alone can complete 5 million vaccinations by July.”
The City of L A has 3 million residents … there are 7 million more residents in the rest of LA County.
One gaping need … community clinics.
Most of these clinics operate in low income areas … but some of them are in places like Malibu.
For some reason… the state has prioritized community clinics at very low levels.
Governor Gavin Newsom says the federal government is now allocating additional vaccine for clinics.
NEWSCART 73257 NEWSOM BROADER ALLOCATION AND SUPPLY
“They are starting around half a million next week … and they will get up to a million .. of which California will receive roughly 10 percent of that allocation.
“Accordingly … we are about to receive 10 percent of another 1 million dose allocation … and that’s directly to pharmacies here in the State of California.
“This does not come out of our broader allocation of supply.”
Do the math.
There are 2.4 million unvaccinated people over 65, or working in front line health care, in Los Angeles County.
The county is getting 200,000 doses per week, and half of those are second doses. That leaves 100,000 doses into 2,400,000 eligible arms.
And at that rate … it will be six months before all the currently-eligible people are inoculated.
The county says some Los Angeles County teachers, food workers and first responders could begin receiving COVID-19 vaccinations in two to three weeks.
But Doctor Barbara Ferrer says teachers and others still have to wait.
NEWSCART 73260 FERRER WORKERS
“We have had a lot of outbreaks.
“Food production workers.
“Amongst our grocery store clerks … amongst restaurant workers … amongst folks working at the ports … amongst folks working in retail
“Lots of people have been working for the last year … at essential jobs … keeping our community functional.
“And now … they too are in line to be vaccinated.”
Details of how to expand vaccine eligibility to these groups is still being worked out, such as having schools and districts offer their own vaccination clinics.
In Malibu … the number of newly diagnosed cases continues to tape downward.
19 people who live within the city limits of Malibu have received positive diagnoses in the past two weeks.
As for schools …. the governor now hopes to announce financing plan to reopen schools Friday.
Newsom said his administration is working with lawmakers on a $6.6 billion package.
This would allow th eyoungest kids … ujp tpo grade 2 … to return safely to school … in person.
Kids up to sixth grade might get back to school this spring … too.
