Staff Shortage At San Mateo Co. Vaccine Sites Worries Officials

SAN MATEO COUNTY, CA — San Mateo County is looking to increase staffing at vaccination sites after a staffing shortage canceled a scheduled COVID-19 vaccination clinic at the San Mateo Medical Center on Monday.

Demand for vaccines and boosters is increasing as the Omicron variant continues to spread and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently recommended for all adults to get a booster shot if enough time has passed since their initial vaccinations.

County Manager Mike Callagy said during Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting that the county needs more outside help from contract agencies to staff the sites.

“It’s really a function of the personnel needed to do this with everyone vying for the same personnel we’ve relied on heavily,” Callagy said.

Over 208,000 San Mateo County residents received a booster shot last week, an increase of 29,551 from the week prior, according to Dr. Anand Chabra, the medical director of Family Health Services.

There were 180 patients scheduled for vaccinations Monday at a county-run clinic at the San Mateo Medical Center, but they were informed of the need to reschedule hours prior, according to the San Mateo Daily Journal. All patients now have appointments, a county spokesperson told the Journal.

San Mateo County is seeing an uptick in cases, though the number of COVID-19 related hospitalizations has not increased, according to county Chief of Health Louise Rogers.

Supervisor Don Horsley said that the board is unlikely to resume meeting in-person until next February, with Rogers adding that pausing on plans for the public to gather in large indoor meetings is “probably a good caution.”