The Butte County Department of Public Health is opening COVID-19 vaccine appointments to anyone 16 years of age and older who lives or works in the county.
Officials said in a press release Monday that the change will take effect immediately at all community and hospital vaccination clinics in the county.
The decision puts Butte County ahead of the state’s timeline. Governor Gavin Newsom announced Thursday that those 16 years and older would be eligible to schedule a vaccination appointment starting April 15th.
Residents who book appointments through the state’s website may encounter some difficulty and will need to follow specific instructions.
“Residents who book a vaccination appointment through a community or hospital vaccination clinic that utilizes MyTurn, the state’s scheduling system, will need to check the ’65-74’ age range option to get the scheduling process started,” Butte County Public Health officials wrote in the press release. “This is due to a current limitation within the state’s online scheduling system.”
Officials state that one should only select the box to start the process. Those scheduling should enter their correct birth date once prompted. The system will also use birth dates to verify eligibility.
At this time, individuals 16 and 17 can only receive the Pfizer vaccine and must schedule appointments at either the Oroville community vaccination clinic or the Chico hospital clinic. Minors must be accompanied by a parent or caregiver and bring proof of their age.
Butte County Public Health officials added that retail pharmacies’ appointments need to be made directly with the pharmacy. There is no guarantee that retail pharmacies will follow local public health guidelines on vaccine eligibility.
“Retail pharmacies are part of the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program, which is separate from the Butte County Community and Hospital Vaccination Clinics. Eligibility and vaccine availability through the retail pharmacies may be different,” Butte County Public Health said in the release.
A list of upcoming clinics can be found on the state’s scheduling website myturn.ca.govand the county's website buttecounty.net/covidvaccine. Those without internet access and those who need help scheduling an appointment can call the county’s COVID call center at 552-3050.
