Vaccine Eligibility Expands to Include Food & Agriculture, Education & Emergency Services

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health announced new sectors that are now eligible for COVID-19 vaccines. As of Monday, workers in food and agriculture, education and childcare, and emergency services will be able to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

The following sectors are eligible for vaccination as of Monday:

Food and agriculture

• Food service workers.
• Food manufacturing.
• Grocery store workers.
• Grocery store workers (without pharmacies).
• Animal agriculture workers including those involved in vet health.
• Veterinarians.
• Food and agriculture-associated port and transportation workers.

Education and childcare

• Teachers (kindergarten through 12, preschool).
• Support staff (kindergarten through 12, preschool).
• Childcare.
• Independent schools.
• Junior colleges.
• Colleges and universities.

Emergency services & first responders

• Police/law enforcement officers.
• Emergency management, search and rescue, emergency and public safety communication centers,
• National security.
• Maritime and aviation response (TSA).
• Corrections officers and workers.
• Courts/legal counsel & prosecution.
• Campus and school police.
• Rehabilitation and re-entry.
• Federal law enforcement agencies.
• Police, fire and ambulance dispatchers.

Security staff to maintain building access control and physical security measures

DCFS, APS (workers physically responding to abuse and neglect of children, elderly and dependent adults)

Those who fall under the newly eligible sectors will be able to get vaccinated at many sites across the county including pharmacies, local hospitals, mobile vaccination clinics and large capacity vaccination sites. There are approximately 546,000 people in the education and childcare sector, 116,000 people in the emergency services and law enforcement sector, and 502,000 people in the food and agriculture sector eligible for a vaccine. Vaccinations are scheduled on sector-specific days for these newly eligible groups at large capacity vaccination sites. Workers will be required to show proof of their identity with a photo ID, that they reside or work in L.A. County, and are among a sector eligible for vaccinations.

Nearly 1,960,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered across Los Angeles County. Of those vaccinated, 600,497 people have received second doses. The county’s network of vaccination sites has the capacity for 500,000 appointment slots this week, although it only received enough doses for 270,000 appointments.

The Johnson & Johnson vaccine received emergency use authorization and L.A. County will likely begin to see doses of this vaccine as early as this week. As Johnson & Johnson doses come into L.A. County, this vaccine will be offered at a number of sites including the large capacity vaccination sites. There will not be any ability to choose a vaccine brand when being vaccinated.

Public Health has not yet seen any increases due to gatherings that may have happened during the Super Bowl and Presidents Day weekend.

The department confirmed 32 new deaths and 987 cases of COVID-19 Monday. The lower number of deaths and cases may reflect reporting delays over the weekend.

The county is steadily making progress in reducing the average number of daily new cases of COVID-19. The seven-day average number of cases by episode date has now decreased to less than 1,000 per day. 

There are 1,578 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized, 31% of these people are in the I.C.U. 

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