California to give 40% of vaccine doses to vulnerable areas

By KATHLEEN RONAYNE and JANIE HAR Associated Press

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California will begin setting aside 40% of all vaccine doses for people who live in the most vulnerable neighborhoods in an effort to inoculate people most at risk from the coronavirus and get the state’s economy open more quickly.

The doses will be spread among 400 ZIP codes where there are about 8 million people eligible for shots, said Dr. Mark Ghaly, the state’s health and human services secretary. Many of the neighborhoods are concentrated in Los Angeles County and the central valley, which have had among the highest rates of infection.

The areas are considered most vulnerable based on metrics such as household income, education level, housing status and access to transportation. Ghaly said the goal is to cut transmission rates and reopen the state’s economy. “As we achieve higher levels of vaccine in the hardest hit communities, we feel more confident that more and more activities across the state can occur,” he said in a briefing Thursday. The announcement is the latest change in an ever-evolving system to get California’s nearly 40 million residents vaccinated, adding to ongoing confusion among people who just want to know when they can get the shot. The move […]

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