SLO County expands vaccine eligibility, including to food and agriculture workers, plus those with high-risk medical conditions or disabilities

SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY, Calif. - San Luis Obispo County announced Wednesday that it is expanding its COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to another 40,000 workers and high-risk individuals countywide.

At the recommendation of the SLO County Vaccine Task Force, workers in education & childcare, food & agriculture and emergency services can now get their vaccines.

In addition, community members with high-risk health conditions or disabilities as well as those who care for the elderly and medically vulnerable are now eligible.

“We are thrilled to now offer vaccines to these vulnerable residents who have waited patiently for their turn,” said Dr. Penny Borenstein, County Health Officer. “This is an important milestone for our community. I encourage everyone who is eligible to get vaccinated as soon as you can to protect yourself and help end the pandemic.”

The county said it has vaccines to give out 5,500 first-dose shots at one of its vaccine clinics in Arroyo Grande, Paso Robles and San Luis Obispo.

All eligible residents can sign up to get their shot online.

The county said, when you show up for your appointment, you must bring a form of identification and a recent pay stub to verify that you are employed in an eligible sector.

Those who are eligible because they are medically vulnerable will be asked to self-attest to their specific high-risk medical condition or disability. These conditions have been identified by the California Department of Public Health based on risk of severe illness or death from COVID-19.

Borenstein added that since the new eligibility group is such a high number, she asked the public for their patience when the attempt to make an appointment.

"We know the first one, two, even three weeks of opening to a new group of individuals may make it very challenging to get an appointment," said Borenstein. "But we will get through that group, so please be patient and understand that while you might not get it immediately, when you're in our system, you can expect to be immunized in the very near term, within a matter of weeks."

For assistance signing up for a vaccine appointment, call the Phone Assistance Center at 805-543-2444 or 805-781-4280.