Santa Clara County’s health officer told the Health and Hospital Committee that California moved to preserve access to updated COVID‑19 vaccines after federal advisory guidance changed this season.

Dr. (Health Officer) said a state trailer‑bill provision ensures anyone 6 months and older in California can receive the updated COVID vaccine this season and that state‑regulated insurers should cover the cost for their members. The county concurred with California Department of Public Health guidance and said the county would continue community outreach about respiratory vaccines for COVID‑19, influenza and RSV.

The health officer listed priority groups for COVID vaccination this season: infants 6–23 months, children 2–18 with risk factors, people in close contact with persons at high risk, pregnant and postpartum people, adults 65 and older, and people with certain medical conditions. He also said Medicare telehealth and other federal items continue to be monitored for broader system impacts.

County partners, including the county health system and retail pharmacies, are deploying vaccines as supply permits. The health officer asked residents to consult the MyTurn vaccine locator (myturnvaccine.com) for locations and said most large local providers (Stanford, Sutter, Kaiser and the county health system) were ready to offer vaccines for older children and adults; pediatric supply for 6‑to‑12‑year‑olds was close to arriving at the time of the meeting.

Committee members thanked the department for outreach work and asked staff to continue public messaging about vaccine access and safety as respiratory season begins.