SACRAMENTO COUNTY, Calif. — A Sacramento area dialysis clinic says they will offer the COVID-19 vaccine to all of their clients, regardless of age.
64-year-old Adrian Perez is a dialysis patient whose age is only one year away from being eligible for California's first phase of COVID-19 vaccine distribution.
"Knowing that I had the underlying conditions I was afraid to get COVID," Perez said.
Perez said he spent weeks trying to get the vaccine. He even had a letter from his doctor expressing his urgent need but was denied every time. That was until February 5, when he was able to get vaccinated through Davita
“They were going to set me up to drive all the way to Marysville to get my shot, then all the sudden DaVita says they are going to give you your shot," Perez explained. "Perfect, so I didn't have to drive all the way to Marysville."
Mike Herrick is in charge of the Sacramento area DaVita clinics and says all dialysis patients, no matter their age, will have the option to get the vaccine while they receive their dialysis treatment
“We have been advocating up and down the state to make sure our patients were fit into the first second phase and through that Sacramento County realized what we were up against, what our patients faced on a daily basis, and they agreed to allow us to do that,” Herrick said.
According to Sacramento County, a Health Officer has the authority to make allowances for priority, based on the following vaccine goals with our limited allocations:
- Decrease death and serious disease as much as possible
- Preserve functioning of society
- Reduce the extra burden the disease is having on people already facing disparities
- Increase the chance for everyone to enjoy health and well-being
Sacramento DaVita clinics have vaccinated 2400 patients, many will receive their second doses next Monday.
“They don’t have to wait in line, stand-in long lines, they don’t have to get online with the computer to try and figure that out," said Herrick. "We’ve made it a one-stop-shop for our dialysis community."
