+ UPDATE: While Mayor Holds Mass Vaccination Media Event And Some Age 65+ Are Vax'd, Many Others Report Digital Brushoffs And Delays That May Extend Into February
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UPDATE: While Mayor Holds Mass Vaccination Media Event And Some Age 65+ Are Vax'd, Many Others Report Digital Brushoffs And Delays That May Extend Into February
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This story is part of a continuing first-person series on our experience as a Long Beach resident 65+ in seeking the COVID-19 vaccine at a City-operated site. Initial story >at this link.

(Jan. 20, 2021) -- While Mayor Robert Garcia conducted a city management facilitated press event (Jan 19) showing a mass vaccination clinic at the LB Convention Center, the City's vaccination website was telling residents 65+ seeking appointments to wait for appointment at some future unspecified date and timeline and blamed the delay on the unavailability of vaccines. ..

City management's Joint Information Center told LBREPORT.com on Jan. 19 <>As of yesterday [Jan. 18], more than 2,500 adults over the age of 65 years have been vaccinated in the city. This number does not include those who received vaccine today.

As of yesterday [Jan. 18], a total of 21,644 doses have been administered throughout the city (by points of dispensary and medical providers).

As far as concerns with being able to schedule appointments through the City's VaxLB portal, there is an incredibly high demand for vaccines and supply is limited at this time. Nonetheless, appointments are continuing to open up one to two days. It could be likely that appointments became filled after today's presser, at the time that you visited the site today. The City is following all State and CDC guidelines for administering vaccine and we are working aggressively to ensure that everyone in Long Beach who wants to be vaccinated is vaccinated when it is their turn.

Readers should be advised to check with their employer or medical provider about vaccine availability and sign up at longbeach.gov/vaxLB to be notified when it’s their turn to get the vaccine.

LBREPORT.com inquired further: Did the "2,500 adults over 65" include those 75+? That's important because those 75+ had already signed up, filling many spaces by the time the CDC opened vaccine eligibility to those 65+. LB's Joint Information Center replied:

Yes, the 2,500 older adults vaccinated (as of yesterday [Jan. 19]) consists of adults 65 years and up, including those over 75 years old. These vaccinations started being conducted by the City on Saturday, Jan. 16. As you may know, the City will be holding vaccination clinics specifically for older adults each Saturday until the needs are met.

LBREPORT.com has separately learned via our sources that the delays for those 65+ could stretch into February...and that Mayor Garcia and city officials have known this for days.

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Readers 75+ say the system has worked well for them (including LBREPORT.com columnist Doug Krikorian.) But among readers 65+ responses are mixed. Some say they received appointments swiftly but others (including LBREPORT.com's 65+ publisher Bill Pearl who applied for an appointment on Jan. 14) received unresponsive emails with no appointment date or possible timeline.

The City and private medical offices don't control the amount of vaccines available locally, When the CDC recently announced that individuals 65+ were eligible for vaccines and Sac'to and the City did likewise, they effectively invited increased demand without any guarantee of increased supply.
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On January 14, city management's Joint Information Center told us that as of Jan. 13, the City had doses had approximately 12,105 vaccine doses on hand and 15,048 vaccines had been administered to date. We don't what the number is today but we do know that 12,000 doses don't allow the kind of mass vaccinations necessary now that City Hall officialdom has led the public to believe it can deliver now (while officials vaccinate themselves)

On Jan, 14, 2021, the same day the city officials showed themselves getting vaccinated, we used the digital link the City provided to make an appointment. We received the following emailed response on Jan. 14:

"You will be contacted if an appointment becomes available. Be safe!"

City management's Joint Information Center told us:

"As of yesterday [Jan. 14], the City had approximately 12,105 vaccine doses on hand and 15,048 vaccines had been administered to date. ...As vaccines have become available, Long Beach has aggressively allocated or administered doses to those first in need. As you know, vaccinations for older adults begins tomorrow [Jan. 16]. Prior to making an appointment through the City vaccine clinics, people should first contact their healthcare provider for vaccine availability. Large medical providers have direct access to the vaccine. Individuals with additional questions may call 562.570.INFO (4636), option 6, or email COVID19Vaccine@longbeach.gov."

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When we indicated we would be reporting our experience and that of others and invited any context city management wished to include, Ms. Finegan added: "We should note that new appointments are coming up every day and the City is currently working on launching a system that will be more user-friendly. A press release with more details on this will be issued by Monday [Jan. 18]..

On Jan. 17, the City sent the public the following social network message, titled "It's Your Turn" It speaks for itself and includes the text below in red:

...The groups listed at the bottom of the page are currently eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

You must show proof that you are in an eligible group AND that you work in or live in Long Beach in order to be vaccinated. Those who cannot prove that they meet criteria will be turned away at the site.

Work ID, pay stub, or letter of employment on official letterhead are acceptable as proof of employment. Mail with your full name and address, a utility bill, or driver's license are acceptable as proof of residency. No appointments are available at this time.

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At this point, LBREPORT.com continues to question whether the City had vaccines available to vaccinate more than a relatively few people 65+ when boasted that it was inviting those in that age group to sign up for appointments.

Readers' responses are mixed. A reader sent us this on Monday Jan. 18:

Here is my vaccination experience. I am 70 years old and on 1/14, sent an email to the city to get the vaccine (per the link on the city website). I received an email back the same day basically saying to wait a few days for more information. On 1/16 I received an email saying registration was open and to click on one of the attached links. Note that the email said the vaccinations were drive thru and take place at the Health Dept. on Grand Ave. I clicked on the link for Tuesday (1/19) and registered myself for a mid-morning appointment. This site (calvax) lists the location as the Convention Center. I received a confirmation email shortly thereafter...

But another told us this:

"Don't bother calling the number on the city's vaccination website it doesn't work. Wasted a lot of time trying to make an appointment for my 91 year old mother in law.:" (Next Door, Jan. 16.)

Further as we learn it.

Support really independent news in Long Beach. No one in LBREPORT.com's ownership, reporting or editorial decision-making has ties to development interests, advocacy groups or other special interests; or is seeking or receiving benefits of City development-related decisions; or holds a City Hall appointive position; or has contributed sums to political campaigns for Long Beach incumbents or challengers. LBREPORT.com isn't part of an out of town corporate cluster and no one its ownership, editorial or publishing decisionmaking has been part of the governing board of any City government body or other entity on whose policies we report. LBREPORT.com is reader and advertiser supported. You can help keep really independent news in LB similar to the way people support NPR and PBS stations. We're not non-profit so it's not tax deductible but $49.95 (less than an annual dollar a week) helps keep us online.

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