COVID-19 Vaccination Eligibility and Scheduling
COVID-19 Vaccinations are only available to those who meet federal and state criteria.
CDC now recommends a booster vaccination of the COVID-19 vaccine for moderate to severe immunocompromised individuals that previously completed the series.
COVID-19 Vaccine Information
The first COVID-19 vaccines have been authorized for use in the United States. Hundreds of millions of people have now received these safe and effective vaccines. The Public Health Department strongly recommends that anyone aged 12 and above get vaccinated now.
Additional Doses for immunocompromised patients after two doses of Pfizer or Moderna: 3rd doses of the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines have been authorized for patients who are at least 28 days from their last dose and who are moderately or severely immunocompromised. At this time, additional doses after receiving the Johnson and Johnson vaccine have not been authorized. If you are not sure whether you qualify for a 3rd dose of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines, please consult with your physician.
All individuals age 12 and older are eligible to be vaccinated.
Youth between 12 to 17-years old need to provide a signed consent form from a parent or legal guardian. For County-operated sites, the consent form is available online.
The County of Santa Clara has launched a free In-Home Vaccination Program for individuals who are unable to leave their place of residence.
County of Santa Clara COVID-19 News Releases
Get the latest announcements regarding testing, vaccinations, and case load in Santa Clara County here.
Free Transportation to Vaccination Locations
Santa Clara County, VTA has created an interactive map for the public to find a list of the current vaccination locations, along with the bus or light rail routes to take to each site. Transit trips are free as VTA is currently not collecting fares. When viewers click on any vaccination location on the map, they will be taken to the Google Maps transit option to find the most efficient transit route to get to the destination.
When you can get vaccinated
Healthcare workers and long-term care residents (Phase 1A)~Now vaccinating
People with a high chance of exposure and those 65 or older (Phase 1B)~Now vaccinating
Sector populations with high chance of exposure:
- Agriculture and food
- Education and childcare
- Emergency services
Individuals age 16 or older at higher risk~Now vaccinating
People with certain significant high-risk:
- Medical conditions
- Disabilities
- Illnesses
- Living spaces
- Work environments
Every Californian 16 or older~Starts April 15, 2021
Vaccination of people younger than 16 will start as soon as the COVID-19 vaccines are approved for them.
Individuals who are eligible to be vaccinated are encouraged, but not required, to contact their healthcare system to make an appointment. Under the County’s “no wrong door” policy, all providers below (with the exception of the VA) are able to vaccinate eligible patients regardless of your healthcare provider or insurance. See below for scheduling options by provider.
Bay Area Community Health: Click here to schedule an appointment for a vaccination
- Healthcare Workers
- People ages 16+ (Those aged 16-18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.)
- Food and Agriculture Workers
- Emergency Services workers
- Education/Childcare workers
- Those who have a complex health condition (click for more info)
- Those experiencing homelessness
- People who live in Congregate Residential settings
- People who work in Public Transportation setting
El Camino Health: Click here to schedule an appointment for a vaccination
- Anyone who is 16 years of age or older and lives or works in Santa Clara County; or
- Individuals who reside in a high-risk congregate setting in Santa Clara County; or
- Individuals in Santa Clara County who are at highest risk for extreme complications from COVID-19 due to specific health conditions; or
- Individuals in Santa Clara County who are at high-risk for extreme complications from COVID-19 due to a severe mental or physical disability; or
- People who live or work in Santa Clara County and are at risk of exposure to COVID-19 through their work in:
– Healthcare; or
– Education and Childcare; or
– Emergency Services; or
– Food and Agriculture; or
– Public Transit
Federal Retail Pharmacy Program – Vaccine Appointments
The Federal Retail Pharmacy Program has been activated with select pharmacy partners. California’s current pharmacy partners are CVS, Rite Aid, Walgreens, Albertsons, Walmart, Costco, Kroger, Topco, Cardinal, CPESN, Good Neighbor, and Health Mart. Pharmacy partners are now offering COVID-19 vaccine in their select store locations. Currently, eligible groups are ages 65+, health-care workers, long-term care and congregate settings, food and agriculture workers, education and childcare workers, emergency services workers, public transit workers, airport workers, commercial airline workers, and ages 16-64 with high-risk medical conditions. Appointments will be required. Eligible Californians should not contact individual stores for appointments or come to the store seeking a vaccination without an appointment. Eligible individuals should be directed to the following scheduling links below for an appointment:
- Albertsons
- Costco (Costco membership is not required)
- CVS
- Health Mart
- Kroger
- Rite Aid
- Walgreens
- Walmart
Kaiser Permanente, please proceed with the scheduling process on this link.
- We’re currently vaccinating people 16 and older as supplies allow.
- We can only vaccinate people with appointments and not family members or others who accompany them.
- Sign in to check availability and schedule your vaccine appointment.
- Same as Santa Clara County list above.
Mountain View Community Center
Appointment-only vaccination site operated by the County will provide up to 1,000 vaccine doses per weekday. The Mountain View location is now accepting appointments. To schedule a COVID-19 vaccine appointment at this or other locations in Santa Clara County, visit sccfreevax.org.
Palo Alto Medical Foundation/ Sutter Health, please proceed with the scheduling process on this link.
- Patients age 16 and older.
- Note: If you’re age 16-17, you can receive the Pfizer vaccine with consent. Bring a parent or guardian to your vaccine appointment, or have them sign this form and bring it with you.
Santa Clara Valley Medical Center Hospitals and Clinics, please proceed with the scheduling process on this link. Sites available in San Jose, Gilroy, Santa Clara, and Mountain View. Please continue checking for updated information at sccfreevax.org.
- All individuals age 16 and older who live, work, or attend school in Santa Clara County are eligible to be vaccinated.New appointments are regularly added by the County of Santa Clara Health System and all other providers, and many providers are now adding appointments. Please check this website for updates.As of April 28, the County of Santa Clara Health System and other healthcare providers can resume the use of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine at select locations, following federal and state recommendations. The County Health System will offer either Pfizer or Moderna (2-dose mRNA vaccines) at all of its vaccination clinics. In addition, the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine will be available upon request at select sites. For more information about the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, see fact sheet from the Santa Clara County Public Health Department.
VA Palo Alto HealthCare System: Click here to schedule an appointment for a vaccination
Congress has passed a new law that allows us to offer COVID-19 vaccines to more people. VA is now able to offer vaccine to the following groups who are eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine at VA when their local VA facilities have enough vaccine:
- Veterans
- Spouse of a Veteran
- Caregivers of a Veteran
- Recipients of Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA) benefits
Walgreens
Let’s check COVID-19 vaccine and testing availability in your area. Enter 95035. Best to check just after midnight.
What if I have problems accessing those websites, or they won’t accept my zip Code?
- Valley Connection Phone Number: 1-888-334-1000
- Email Kathy Truong
Quarantine Guidance for fully vaccinated people
Following the direction of the CDC and CDPH, the County of Santa Clara Public Health Department has issued new quarantine guidance for people who have been fully vaccinated.
- If you have completed your COVID-19 vaccination and you have been a close contact to someone with COVID-19, you do NOT need to quarantine if you meet ALL the conditions listed below.
- Are fully vaccinated (this means 2 or more weeks have passed after you received the second dose in a 2-dose vaccine series, or 2 or more weeks have passed after you received one dose of a single-dose vaccine),
- Are within 3 months after you received the last dose in the vaccine series,
- Do not have symptoms of COVID-19 since the current exposure. (If you have COVID-19 symptoms, isolate and get tested immediately.
Evidence used to update the list of underlying medical conditions that increase a person’s risk of severe illness from COVID-19~Updated March 29, 2021
This list is a living document that will be periodically updated by CDC, and it could rapidly change as the science evolves. Severe illness from COVID-19 is defined as hospitalization, admission to the ICU, intubation or mechanical ventilation, or death. Find out just how likely you are to get a severe case of COVID-19 because of underlying conditions here.
MOA of Messenger RNA-Based COVID-19 Vaccines
This animation demonstrates the mechanism of action of Messenger RNA based vaccines for COVID-19 (SARs-CoV-2) from companies such as Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and Arcturus Therapeutics.
How mRNA Vaccines Work – Simply Explained
mRNA vaccines have to potential to end the COVID19 pandemic. How do they work? Are they safe? And how could they’ve been developed so quickly? The main idea of mRNA vaccines is to trick our bodies to produce part of a virus. This kickstarts our immune response, without getting us sick. All that’s needed is a part of the virus’s DNA or RNA, packaged into mRNA. Cool!
What is my BMI?
Since one of the more likely dangerous underlying conditions is obesity, defined as a BMI equal to or greater than 30, you may want to calculate your BMI on this CDC page. Those with BMI greater than or equal to 40 can be vaccinated at this time.