Melinda Palacio
The Santa Barbara Independent reported that a 92-year-old undocumented woman was turned away from receiving a vaccine because she couldn’t produce a photo ID. Could they really not tell that this poor abuelita is over the age of 75? And who cares? She took the effort to get herself to a facility in Santa Maria where they were giving vaccinations to people 75 and older. Her granddaughter explained that her purse had been stolen and that she hasn’t left the house in almost a year for fear of getting the virus that has taken friends and relatives.
I don’t know who’s in charge or who figures out how much vaccine to send to Santa Barbara county, but obviously not enough has been sent. The middle of February and they are just now finishing with the age group of 75 and older, with the exception of this lady and anyone who cannot produce documentation. Can we trust that this situation has been remedied?
Sansum Clinic sent out an email two days ago saying that people over age 65 are now eligible to receive the vaccine, however only a small fraction of the more than 40, 000 residents over 65 will get get vaccinated because of the county’s short supply. According to Sansum’s newsletter, they still have many patients over age 75 who are already on a waiting list. Santa Barbara residents continue to wait for vaccinations as businesses, schools, and restaurants navigate a new normal. Let’s hope that the people in charge will allow teachers to jump ahead and receive vaccines, schools are set to open later this month.
In the meantime, florists and psychoanalysts continue to thrive. Wash your hands, wear your masks, do something nice for a stranger. Good luck in getting through year two of the pandemic.
*update freezes and bad weather has added additional wait times for those already on the list, while many alarmists and some military are refusing the vaccine.
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