Last updated Jan. 22, 2021. We have begun vaccinating UC San Diego Health patients ages 65 and over. We will contact you via MyUCSDChart or telephone when we are ready to schedule your vaccination. Please see details below and wait for an invitation to avoid overwhelming our phone lines.
Vaccine Information
Two COVID-19 vaccines — from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna — are available for adults in the U.S. Both are given in two doses, approximately 21 days apart for the Pfizer vaccine and approximately 28 days apart for the Moderna vaccine. Both vaccines are about 95 percent effective at preventing symptomatic illness for COVID-19 within a few weeks of receiving both doses, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). For details about the safety of the vaccines and how they work, see Vaccine FAQs.
Patient Vaccine Distribution
We have begun scheduling vaccinations for UC San Diego Health patients who are 65 years and older. Because of limited and fluctuating vaccine supplies, we are first contacting our patients who are at high risk for severe COVID-19 infection. As we receive more vaccine supplies, we will be able to increase our capacity.
When we are ready to schedule your vaccination, we will notify you through your MyUCSDChart account or by telephone if you don’t have an account. Please wait for your invitation to avoid overwhelming our phone lines and to allow us to continue caring for patients. Because our distribution plan follows county guidelines, we are not establishing a vaccine waitlist.
If you don’t yet have one, please create a MyUCSDChart account now. Although we will contact you by telephone if you do not use the portal, we encourage MyUCSDChart because of the ease of online self-scheduling.
Please note:
- San Diego County is now offering vaccination appointments to people who are 75 and over. Patients in this age group may wish to schedule their vaccine at a county vaccination site rather than wait for a UC San Diego Health invitation. The county’s appointment times are very limited, and we cannot schedule these appointments for you. To check for open appointments, go to San Diego County Vaccination Appointments .
- If you are a patient of another health care system, please wait for a message from your own care provider.
- If you are a health care worker who is eligible for a vaccine as part of Phase 1A, please schedule your vaccination through San Diego County .
- For questions about second doses, see Scheduling Your Second Dose. For other questions, see Vaccine FAQs below.
COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution
Vaccinations will occur in phases, following public health guidelines and depending on vaccine supplies. The highest-risk individuals, including people 65 and over and health care or essential workers, are in the first phases.
Currently Vaccinating
- Phase 1A —Tier 1, 2, 3 (through employer or San Diego County ):
- All health care personnel, including EMTs, paramedics and home health workers
- Long-term care facility residents
- Plus:
- People ages 75 years and older (through San Diego County)
- People ages 65 years and older (UC San Diego Health patients by invitation only)
Distribution phases and tiers are as of Jan. 21, 2021. For the latest information, see San Diego County vaccine phases (which are based on California guidelines ).
Scheduling Your Second Dose
Depending on the vaccine you get, you should schedule your second dose approximately 21 days later (for Pfizer vaccines) or 28 days later (for Moderna vaccines).
Sometime after receiving your first dose, you will receive a notice through your MyUCSDChart account to schedule your next dose. However, you may not see any open appointment times until about three days before your next dose is due. Please wait until that time to log into MyUCSDChart and self-schedule. You’ll also have a message in your MyUCSDChart account with step-by-step instructions.
If you receive your first dose at a San Diego County location, follow the instructions you receive at that location to schedule your second dose.
Help Stop the Spread
Even after being vaccinated, please continue to follow public health guidelines to keep our friends, family and community safe. This includes:
- Wearing a mask that covers your nose and mouth
- Observing physical distancing (at least 6 feet)
- Washing hands often and thoroughly
- Activating the state’s CA Notify tool on your smartphone to learn about possible exposure
Read More: https://health.ucsd.edu/coronavirus/pages/vaccine.aspx