Sonoma County launches vaccine standby list

Sonoma County recently has launched a standby list for coronavirus vaccination appointments.

Residents who register for the list will be notified when vaccination appointments at local clinics become available because of extra doses or unfilled appointments, said Matt Brown, a county spokesman.

Individuals will be called in the order that they registered, Brown said, and should be “ready to go” once they are notified. The calls may come from a blocked number.

To register, visit https://form.jotform.com/211016242241134. Residents will be asked to provide their name, date of birth, address, contact information and preferred language. Insurance is not required to receive a vaccine.

All information shared is confidential, and residents will not be asked about their immigration status.

Although the list is one way that residents can receive a shot, appointments aren’t as challenging to make as they have been in previous weeks, Brown said. The demand for vaccines is not outpacing supply anymore, and some clinics in Sonoma County also have started to accept walk-ins, he said.

The county also is administering the Johnson & Johnson vaccine once again. On Monday, public health officer Dr. Sundari Mase reauthorized local use of the vaccine after it was suspended April 13 because it was linked to a small number of severe blood clots.

More than 12,000 total doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine have been administered in the county, and no adverse effects have been reported here.

But the latest problem facing some local clinics is an increased number of appointment no-shows, causing them to scramble to administer shots at the end of the day.

The problem is likely because people are booking several online appointments without canceling the ones they no longer need, said Wendy Young, executive director of the Sonoma County Medical Association, who saw 87 no-show appointments this past Friday.

About 36% of Sonoma County residents have yet to receive the coronavirus vaccine, according to county data. About 19% of residents are partially vaccinated, while 45% are fully vaccinated.

For more information about the vaccine rollout in the county or to schedule an appointment, visit socoemergency.org/emergency/novel-coronavirus/vaccine-information/clinics/.

Staff Writer Phil Barber contributed to this story.