Some San Francisco residents could soon have option of getting vaccinated at home

ByLuz Pena KGO logo

Sunday, May 30, 2021

SF residents could soon have option to get vaccinated at homeBay Area counties like Marin and San Francisco are deploying mobile vaccine squads to help get the rest of the population vaccinated.

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- As we get closer to reopening of the state on June 15, Bay Area counties like Marin and San Francisco are deploying mobile vaccine squads to lower vaccine barriers and get the rest of the population vaccinated.

San Francisco's Department of Public Health's COVID command team is implementing an informational door-to door outreach to reach hardest hit communities.

The Latino Task Force is gearing up to vaccinate some residents from the comfort of their home.

65 percent of San Francisco residents are fully vaccinated. To reach herd immunity we need at least 75% of the population to be protected, according to experts. The focus now is to make it easier for the rest of the population to get vaccinated.

"Those remaining pockets of people who have not had the time to get vaccination or didn't know how to do it, just didn't have the logistics," said Joe DeRisi, PhD - Co-President of the Chan Zuckerberg Biohub and a leader for the Unidos en Salud team.

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San Francisco's Department of Public Health is deploying mobile vaccine units, targeting those who can't leave their home or didn't have access to transportation to make it to a vaccination site.

"Senior residences for example, or senior complex apartments, that they are getting vaccinated. Also, SRO's single room occupancy hotels. So people whose living conditions are more crowded so the risk of infection is greater," said Berta Hernandez with the SFDP COVID-19 Command Center.

UCSF along with community groups Unidos en Salud and the Latino Task Force are pushing the city's strategy even further starting in the Mission District.

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"We are going door to door. We are creating a brand new campaign, "vacunate ya," said Susana Rojas, Communication Chair for the Latino Task Force and added, "Vaccinating people at home and doing a lot more pop-ups. Not trying to vaccinate 100 people but maybe 20, 15,16."

Unidos en Salud volunteers go out six times a week, aiming to make contact with at least 500 people a day. Their goal is to continue making vaccine appointment in two weeks many of those shots will be given at home.

Dr. Joe DeRisi supports the strategic outreach and says this is key to stopping COVID-19 from mutating.

"It's really important to protect everyone because if there are pockets of people who are unprotected, it can allow the virus to a have a reservoir, a place to go from person to person," said Dr. DeRisi.

Luz Pena: "If a San Francisco residents wants to get vaccinated at home what should they do?"

Berta Hernandez: "Right now they have to speak to their service provider. If they are in touch with an organization that they receive services from. That would be the best thing to do right now."

California's Department of Public Health is also doing their own outreach sending text messages with links to the MyTurn website making it easier to book appointments at local sites.

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