Update on COVID-19 Vaccinations
Phase 1a COVID 19 vaccinations are underway; phase 1a includes all practicing physicians, providers, and medical office staff at risk of COVID exposure.
Vaccinations are currently being administered at local hospitals to physicians and other health care workers in Tier 1 (acute care settings and staff and residents of long-term care facilities and skilled nursing facilities). As more vaccines become available in the coming weeks, Tier 2 (outpatient primary care) and Tier 3 (outpatient specialty) will also become eligible for vaccinations.
Local planning efforts for Tiers 2 and 3 are ongoing, but we believe most practicing physicians will be vaccinated at a hospital where they maintain Medical Staff privileges. Many physicians have already reported receiving information from their local hospitals about the process and timeline. If you have not received any information, please check with your hospital Medical Staff.
For those who do not have Medical Staff privileges or who otherwise may not be able to obtain a vaccination from a hospital, the county health departments are working with ACCMA and our local health care partners to create additional pathways for physicians and others in priority group 1a – including outpatient medical office staff who are at risk of COVID exposure – to be vaccinated. We expect that more vaccination pathways will be identified soon.
Please note that due to the limited supply of vaccines, physicians and other health care workers are prioritized based on risk of exposure in accordance with guidance issued by the CDC and California Department of Public Health. Local health departments and hospitals have minimal discretion over prioritization within each phase.
As the situation evolves, ACCMA will send regular updates with information about additional vaccination resources.
Information about Registering to Administer the Vaccine
All healthcare providers who will be administering COVID-19 vaccines must be enrolled in the COVIDreadi program. Please note that due to limited vaccine availability, enrollment is currently focused on settings where COVID-19 vaccines will be administered as part of Phase 1a/Tier 1. However, practices that would like to eventually administer vaccinations to their patients are encouraged to review the following information and be prepared to enroll:
When the vaccine supply increases, it will likely become available for private practices, but at this moment there is no timeline for when that will happen. The COVID vaccine is also expected to be widely available in commercial chain pharmacies.
Additional Information
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact ACCMA at 510-654-5383 or accma@accma.org.
