COVID Vaccine Supply In Santa Clara, San Mateo Counties a Case Of Haves, Have Nots
SAN JOSE (KPIX 5) -- It's a tale of two counties when it comes to getting the COVID-19 vaccine.
San Mateo County can't get enough doses, while its neighbor Santa Clara County has plenty, enough vaccine to meet the demand.
"We have approximately 170,000 doses between the federal and state governments, and we're able to disperse those across a week at our mass vaccination sites," said Rupalee Patel, the site manager for Santa Clara County's mass vaccination site on Berger Drive in San Jose.
One 24-year-old San Jose retail store worker decided it was time for her to get the vaccine.
"I think I wanted to just get it over with and feel more comfortable going out and stuff," said Ibona, who booked an appointment online. "It's really easy and fast."
The Berger Drive mass vaccination site is giving out about 3,000 vaccines a day. Another mass vaccination site at Levi's Stadium is giving out 12,000 a day.
"We are taking out just enough vaccine to cover our appointments for the day to make sure that none of it goes to waste," Patel said. "And any leftover doses are hand-carried to other mass vaccination sites that are still open, or to hospitals."
But just across the county line it's a much different story in San Mateo County.
"Just this week, if you can imagine, we're only doing 6,000, just 6,000 first doses," said San Mateo County Board of Supervisorss President David Canepa.
San Mateo County's population is less than 800,000 while Santa Clara County's population is about two million. But while Canepa says his county has a wealthy reputation, its residents also include many frontline workers in Daly City, East Palo Alto and farmworkers on the coast who should be protected.
He said his county's success in controlling the virus may be preventing it from getting more vaccine.
"We made great strides at the tier level. So what we're asking the state to do is don't penalize us," said Canepa.
