As the vaccines become more readily accessible, the information can be tough to filter through and navigate. It can be frustrating to gather all the information like who currently qualifies for the vaccines, where to go to get an appointment, and once you get an appointment what to bring with you to make sure your experience is smooth. Not to mention there is large percentage of the folks that are currently eligible for the vaccine that don't use the internet often nor do they always have the most reliable access to the internet. (Message- please check in with your aunts, uncles, grandparents- your elders may need help just getting online to register for their vaccine.)
Here are some useful tips- especially for folks in underserved communities:
WHO is Currently Eligible:
- The Vaccine is currently available to Healthcare workers, paid caregivers, family caregivers, long-term care and skilled nursing home residents, individuals 65 and older, as well as education and childcare workers, emergency services workers as well as food and agriculture workers.
- People with developmental and other severe high-risk disabilities or underlying conditions will be eligible on March 15.
To ensure that BIPOC communities are getting access to vaccination appointments- the Governor's Office of Emergency Services has set aside a specific block of appointments for Black/BIPOC Communities.
- If you our someone you know is in one of these eligible groups and is in the BIPOC community they can use a specific code to register for their appointment. This code will be updated and the more people that use it the more appointments they will set aside for the BIPOC community.
- To make your appointment using this code go to the California MyTurn website or call 1-833-422-4255. When confirming your eligibility, it asks for an “Accessibility Code (optional).” This is where you enter the current code for Alameda County, which is TRBAWTWXAS.
When You Get Your Appointment Here's What to Bring: