It’s been over three months since the first batch of vaccines rolled out here in California. Fast forward to today and the vaccination program is in full swing. Here’s a look at everything you need to know about the current state of the COVID-19 vaccines in California:

Increasing Vaccination Numbers

Despite the initial hurdles and roadblocks, over 10.2 million or 26% of Californians have now received at least one dose of the vaccine, and nearly five million or 12.6% are already fully vaccinated.

Individuals 16 to 64 years old with severe underlying conditions are now qualified for the vaccine, bringing the total number of eligible people to roughly 17-19 million. On April 1, any California resident who is 50 or older will be eligible. Then, according to current plans, all California residents 16 or older will be eligible starting April 15.

If you or anyone you know is already eligible, we urge you to get vaccinated and help us spread the word about the vaccines’ benefits.

The California state government expects to end the tiered eligibility system in about six weeks, giving all Californians access to the vaccines. Despite the growing number of vaccinated and eligible individuals, people younger than 16, which makes up 20% of the state's population, remain ineligible until the ongoing tests and trials on this group are concluded. 

A New Vaccine Added Into the Mix

Since the state-wide vaccination campaign kicked-off on December 14 last year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) to one new COVID-19 vaccine from Janssen Biotech Inc, more commonly known as the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. California received 380,000 doses of the new vaccine at the beginning of March. 

Unlike the first two approved vaccines from Pfizer BioNTech and Moderna, which are both mRNA types of vaccines, Johnson & Johnson’s is a viral vector type. It uses a harmless virus that instructs your cells to produce a spike protein (a SARS-CoV-2 antigen) that triggers the immune system to produce antibodies and a resulting immune response. It’s also easier to distribute and administer the vaccine since it only requires a single dose and doesn’t need a specialized freezer for storage. 

After months of careful study and several clinical trial phases, the vaccine showed an 85% efficacy rate in preventing severe and critical illnesses from COVID-19. Despite such a high efficacy rate, though, it's still not advisable for people with a known history of severe allergic reaction. 

The vaccine wasn't tested on specific groups of people like children and pregnant and breastfeeding women either. If you belong to any of these groups, it's best to discuss your options with your doctor first before getting any of the vaccines.

Like most vaccines, you can expect minor side effects and reactions after getting vaccinated. This may include headache, fatigue, muscle aches, nausea, and fever, as well as pain, redness, or swelling on the injection site.

What Vaccination Means For Economic Reopening

California's hardest-hit and most disadvantaged areas received 40% of the state's vaccines, all to fast-track the economic recovery. After hitting their target of administering two million doses to these communities, officials have subsequently loosened the state's four-tiered reopening plan criteria. The next milestone of four million administered doses will likewise trigger another loosening of restrictions.

The four color-coded tiers have a different set of rules and mitigation guidelines for businesses and other establishments. Purple, being the strictest, allows retail shops, malls, and places of worship to operate at 25% capacity. Meanwhile, other venues like zoos, museums, gyms, and restaurants are only allowed to operate outdoors.

Currently, Sacramento County is under Red tier, which means retail shops and malls can open at 50% capacity. Indoor operations are allowed for movie theaters, places of worship, and restaurants, but only at 25% capacity or 100 people, whichever is fewer.

Getting Vaccinated Here in Sacramento

Located at 5523 34th Street, Sacramento, CA, La Familia Counseling Center is offering free COVID testing and vaccinations for our community. Anyone who is eligible can call and register their interest in order to receive a vaccination when an appointment becomes available. You can find all the information on their website.

La Familia has more than 40 years of experience providing multicultural counseling, outreach and support services to at-risk youth and low income Sacramento families. Not only are their services free, but they also have bilingual staff members to accommodate non-English speaking patients.

We All Play a Part

While we may still have a long way to go before we can finally put an end to the pandemic, the increasing vaccination rate is reason enough to be optimistic about the future. However, if we want to regain our pre-pandemic lives sooner, it's going to take each one of us to do our part by following safety guidelines and getting vaccinated.

Only after we have achieved herd immunity can we be truly safe from the COVID-19 virus. Experts estimate that we need to vaccinate 70-90% of the entire population to get there. As of writing, we're at 13.7%. It may seem like a long way to go, but if we work together and rally behind a common goal, it'll only be a matter of time before we can claim victory against COVID-19.