People with Disabilities Eligible for COVID-19 Vaccine
Santa Barbara, CA (March 15, 2021) Beginning March 15 people with disabilities are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine.
Eligible individuals ages 16-64 with a range of physical and behavioral disabilities will be asked to sign a statement confirming they meet the criteria for disabilities or high-risk medical conditions, but will not need to state the diagnosis or type of disability to protect confidentiality. As backup documentation, if you receive Regional Center services, your Regional Center will also send you a personalized letter that documents your eligibility for the vaccine. We recommend that you bring your Regional Center letter and/or other types of documentation, in case of questions. Again, it is not required by the state, but individual vaccination sites may have different guidelines. It is better to have more documentation than less when going to your appointment.
Please note that eligibility does not guarantee access to the vaccine due to limited supply, but we encourage you to sign up now so that you’ll be in the process as availability of vaccine increases. The five primary ways to schedule a vaccination appointment are: 1) Your healthcare provider 2) Pharmacies 3) Local Health Department 4) Community Pop-Up Clinics 5) MyTurn online state scheduling system.
This fact sheet from the California Department of Public Health answers many questions. You may consider bringing this to your vaccine appointment too as it lists the disabilities that qualify and the statement that documentation is not required. For additional information or questions, please contact your local Regional Center and County Public Health Department. PathPoint is also available if you need assistance scheduling an appointment, with an accommodation, and other support needs.
The availability of the COVID-19 vaccine is encouraging news in ending the pandemic. The more people that receive the vaccine and are immunized, the quicker the public health crisis can end. Many of our staff are fully immunized against the coronavirus. While the vaccine is safe and effective, deciding whether to get vaccinated is an individual choice impacted by each person’s health conditions, allergies, and religious and personal beliefs.
COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENTS
Kern County
Phone: (661) 321-3000
https://kernpublichealth.com/covid-19-vaccine-schedule/
Los Angeles County
Phone: (833) 540-0473
http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/acd/ncorona2019/vaccine/hcwsignup/
San Luis Obispo County
Phone: (805) 543-2444 or (805) 781-4280
https://www.recoverslo.org/en/vaccine-registration.aspx
Santa Barbara County
Phone: Call (2-1-1), select language, then option 4
https://publichealthsbc.org/vaccine/
Ventura County
Phone: (805) 477-7161
https://www.venturacountyrecovers.org/vaccine-information/
PATHPOINT CONTACTS
PathPoint Behavioral Health
(805) 963-1086 x1621 Jennifer Newbold, Executive Director
PathPoint Developmental Disability Services
Kern County (661) 617-6170 Shawn White, Vice President
Los Angeles County (818) 773-9570 Maria Ortiz, Vice President
San Luis Obispo County (805) 782-8890 April Lewallen, Vice President
North Santa Barbara County (805) 934-3537 April Lewallen, Vice President
South Santa Barbara County (805) 961-9200 Tasha Addison, Vice President
Ventura County (805) 520-8744 Kim Whitaker, Vice President
Overall (805) 234-6691 Karen Moore, Executive Director
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
https://covid19.ca.gov/vaccines/
https://www.dds.ca.gov/corona-virus-information-and-resources/vaccine-testing
THE COVID-19 Vaccination: Facts for You and the People with Disabilities You Support
COVID-19 Vaccine Fact Sheet (Easy Read and Plain Language)