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Here's Who Will Be Newly Eligible for Vaccine Appointments on Monday

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farmworker gets vaccine shot
Mauricio Chavez of Hollister gets a COVID-19 vaccine at Monterey Mushrooms in Morgan Hill on Feb. 28, 2021. (Ana Ibarra/CalMatters)

Starting Monday, March 15, California will expand vaccine eligibility to millions of people who are at higher risk from COVID-19 because of health conditions or disabilities.

The state has also notified vaccine providers and public health departments that individuals who reside in a new group of congregate settings, as well as people who work at airports and commercial airlines, will be eligible to get their shots as well. 

People ages 16-64 who have certain disabilities or health conditions that put them at "the very highest risk" from the coronavirus are the main group who will newly qualify.

Here’s the list of health categories the California Department of Public Health deemed to be at very high risk from COVID-19:

  • Cancer, current with debilitated or immunocompromised state
  • Chronic kidney disease, stage 4 or above
  • Chronic pulmonary disease
  • Down syndrome
  • Immunocompromised state (weakened immune system) from solid organ transplant
  • Pregnancy
  • Sickle cell disease
  • Heart conditions, such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, or cardiomyopathies (excludes hypertension)
  • Severe obesity (Body Mass Index ≥ 40 kg/m2)
  • Type 2 diabetes mellitus with hemoglobin A1c level greater than 7.5%

The state will also allow people with certain “developmental or other significant, high-risk" disabilities” to receive vaccines.

Other Californians who will newly qualify for a vaccine on Monday:

  • People who reside or work in a high-risk congregate residential setting, such as an incarceration/detention facility, homeless shelter or behavioral health facility
  • People experiencing homelessness, who are at risk of transitioning into congregate settings at short notice
  • Public transit workers, including airport and commercial airline workers (but not private airplanes)

If you are eligible for vaccination because of your disability or health condition, the state says you won't be asked to provide documentation of the diagnosis or type of disability you have, in order to protect patient confidentiality. Instead, you'll be asked to sign a self-attestation that you meet the state's criteria.

Note that certain counties may choose to expand these criteria. For example, San Francisco has announced it will broaden its definitions beyond the state's to include more conditions and disabilities; the city/county will offer vaccines to people living with HIV, for instance. Check your county's own rules and plans around eligible disabilities and health conditions.

If you're unsure whether your job is included in one of these eligible industries above, take a look at the state's Updated Vaccine Allocation guide, which goes into more detail about which types of roles are included. (If you believe your job makes you eligible for vaccination under these guidelines, you should also talk to your employer to see if they have a plan for vaccinating workers.)

The quickest way to see if you're currently eligible for the vaccine and able to make an appointment is to input your details into the state's My Turn site.

As for who's next on the eligible list, in late January, California announced that after vaccinating people in Phase 1A and Phase 1B — and now those newly qualified groups starting March 15 — the state will shift away from its previous plan of job-based eligibility exposure risk, health conditions and age — in favor of a system that will be primarily age-based.

Carly Severn and Kevin Stark

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