A top California health official said Wednesday that it could take four to five months to complete COVID-19 vaccinations for those aged 65 and older.
That projection is based on the state population being comprised of roughly 6.2 million people age 65 and over. Dr. Erica Pan said the target goal is to vaccinate 70% of those people, or 4.34 million seniors, with two doses.
Pan said the state is receiving about 400,000 doses a week, or 500,000 in a good week. At this rate, it could take until June to inject shots into the arms of seniors.
Vaccinating seniors is crucial as they’re disproportionately impacted by the virus. Ages 61 and over account for 65% of all intensive care unit admissions and 83% of all deaths.
