Navigating COVID-19 Vaccination

In response to the many questions and concerns expressed by all of you, J-Sei is providing a summary of resources on the COVID-19 vaccination process. This is not all encompassing, but a compilation of resources to help get you started.

Due to the limited amount of COVID-19 vaccine available, the vaccine is being administered in phases. It will take several months before the vaccines are widely available to the general public.

J-Sei has created VACCINE Links & Info to provide offerings that we learn of that are applicable to our constituents.  Please know that the information is posted as we receive it but may be quickly populated. 

Should you need further assistance, please contact J-Sei at (510) 654-4000 and ask to speak to a case manager.

COVID Vaccine by Phases

COVID vaccinations are administered based on the Federal, State and County Health department guidelines. Phases have been determined to prioritize the vaccination roll-out. People will become eligible to get vaccinated based on criteria developed by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) and the California Department of Public Health (CDPH). People at high risk of serious illness or at risk of being exposed at work will receive the vaccine first.

Phase 1A – Healthcare workers and long-term care residents

Phase 1B –Tier 1: People 65 years and older, and workers in Education and Childcare, Emergency Services, Food and Agriculture; Tier 2: Employees in Transportation & Logistics; Industrial, commercial, residential and sheltering facilities and services; Critical manufacturing; Congregate settings with outbreak risk (Incarcerated, Homeless)

Phase 1C – People age 50-64, People ages 16-64 with high-risk medical conditions, other essential workers

Phase 2 – All people ages 16 years and older

Alameda County and Contra Costa county are currently implementing Phase 1B Tier 1 as the vaccine is available.  Current supply in the State are limited.

Vaccination by Health Care Provider

Most people will receive vaccination by their health care provider.

Blue Shield

Blue Shield members can visit blueshieldca.com/coronavirus and the Vaccine FAQ’s for the latest info on vaccine priorities.

Kaiser

Kaiser members can visit kp.org/covidvaccine for the latest info on vaccine priorities and how to get a vaccine when you meet your state’s criteria. You can also call our 24/7 recorded message hotline at (855) 550‑0951 for regular updates. Members will receive email updates on the vaccines by registering on kp.org. For more information, visit kp.org/coronavirus.

• If you’re a health care worker, please complete an e-visit.
• If you’re age 75 or older, Kaiser will contact you directly as vaccine supply becomes available and will provide you with instructions on how to make an appointment.

John Muir Health

John Muir Health are providing vaccination for people age 75 or older beginning Jan 25, 2021. They are arranging appointments through MyChart messages, email, text messages and phone calls. For more info, https://www.johnmuirhealth.com  or call the COVID-19 hotline for more information at (925) 952-2300.

Stanford Health

Vaccine availability depends on your county of residence, age, and in some cases your occupation. At this time, established primary care patients with Stanford Health Care who meet the following criteria may schedule a vaccination via MyHealth or by calling (650) 498-9000.

Sutter Health

If you have selected Sutter Health as your system of care, the website to the Sutter vaccine appointment system is www.sutterhealth.org/covid-vaccine and the phone number is (844) 987-6115. They are currently taking appointments for healthcare workers and patients over the age of 75.

Veterans

Veterans need to be enrolled to receive health care at the VA in order to receive the vaccine. The following links provide information:

• COVID-19 vaccine for Veterans
• COVID-19 vaccines for Veterans FAQs
• Veterans can stay informed by signing up for updates here
• VA main information: (800) 698-2411

County Health Care Resources

Alameda County Health

If you are 65 years or older, you are eligible to receive your first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Please contact your healthcare provider (see info above) to see if you can schedule an appointment.

If you do not have insurance and you use email, you can visit: https://covid-19.acgov.org/vaccines

If you do not have an email address, please call your healthcare provider (see info above) or call LIFE ElderCare for assistance at (510) 894-0370.

Contra Costa County Health

If you are 65 years or older, you are eligible to receive your first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Please check with your healthcare provider.

To schedule an appointment through the county health department,

Click here to request an appointment. Click here for a MyChart tip sheet for scheduling an appointment after your request is approved. Eligible residents who have difficulty using the form or have no internet access can request an appointment by calling 1-833-829-2626.

About COVID-19 Vaccine 

(from Contra Costa County Health)

Why Should I Get Vaccinated?

Vaccination is an important tool to help stop the pandemic. It protects you and others by reducing infection and the spread of COVID-19. Together, the vaccine and other public health measures (like wearing a face covering and social distancing) will offer the best protection from COVID-19, reducing further spread so businesses and schools can fully reopen and we can return to a more normal way of life.

​​How Does the Vaccine Work?

The vaccines do not contain live viruses that could cause infection, are rapidly broken down by the human body after injection and do not interact with or affect with a person’s DNA. The vaccines use messenger RNA to teach the body’s own cells to produce antibodies to protect itself from COVID-19. Both vaccines require two doses over a three- to four-week period.

​Is the Vaccine Safe?

Vaccines have a long history of safety and effectiveness. While infrastructure to manufacture COVID-19 vaccines is being scaled up as quickly as possible, routine processes and procedures are in place to ensure the safety of any vaccine that is authorized or approved for use. To date, tens of thousands of people have received these vaccines in carefully documented trials. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has an independent group of experts that reviews all the safety data as it comes in and provides regular safety updates. The State of California is also conducting its own review of the vaccines’ clinical data to ensure they’re safe to use. The CDC, Food and Drug Administration and healthcare providers will continue safety monitoring as more people are vaccinated to learn about any additional vaccine side effects.

Protect Yourself and Others

Even as vaccines become more widely available, it’s critical that you continue to protect yourself and others from COVID-19:

• Wear a face covering.
• Keep at least 6 feet apart from others.
• Wash your hands often.
• Stay home whenever possible.

​Should you need further assistance, you can contact J-Sei at (510) 654-4000 and ask to speak to a case manager.

Resources: Alameda County Public Health, City of Berkeley Health Department, Contra Costa County Health Department, San Mateo County Health, California For All COVID19

Journey Meadows, Associate Director of Lifelong Medical Center, shares her insights on how seniors navigate the “new normal” during the COVID-19 pandemic.

VIDEO: What is  Confinement During COVID-19

Hear the J-Sei Community Talk with live readings of written prose by Joanne Wong and Jonathan Hirabayashi.  Listen to reflections on “Confinement Now and Then” by Amy Iwasaki Mass.  See the slide and lecture presentation on “The Essence of Shikata Ga Nai” by Stephen Murphy Shigematsu.  Also, included are questions and comments from the participants on how we are doing as a community during COVID-19.

Guest Bios

Stephen Murphy-Shigematsu is a psychologist with a doctorate from Harvard University, and training in clinical and community psychology, yoga, meditation, and Chinese medicine. He was professor of education and at the University of Tokyo and director of the international counseling center. At Stanford University he co founded the LifeWorks program in contemplative and integrative education.

His work balances traditional wisdom and modern science in designing mindful, gentle, and compassionate educational practices and spaces. He uses storytelling, both written and oral, to enhance whole-person learning and mindful citizenship. His latest book is From Mindfulness to Heartfulness: Transforming Self and Society with Compassion. He is the author of When Half Is Whole and Multicultural Encounters; and coauthor of Synergy, Healing, and Empowerment, and several books in Japanese.

Jonathan Hirabayashi operated a business designing and producing exhibition graphics, primarily for public institutions in the Bay Area. Now mostly retired, he spends his time writing, vegetable gardening and working on a lifetime accumulation of home/honey-do projects

Joanne Wong taught elementary school in Alameda, then moved abroad with her husband Gene where she taught dependents of military personnel in Germany and Japan. Upon returning to the U.S., she became a stay-at-home mom for 20 years. She resumed her teaching career, working with blind and low vision students. In retirement, she enjoys traveling and spending time with her two grandsons.

Dr. Amy Iwasaki Mass is Professor Emerita at Whittier College, where she taught for 25 years. She was born and raised in Los Angeles, except for the years she was incarcerated with her family in the Heart Mountain, Wyoming concentration camp. Dr. Mass has made numerous presentations and published many articles about the psychological impact of the concentration camp experience on Japanese Americans. Her family remembrances and testimony from the Commission on Wartime Internment and Relocation of Civilians (CWIRC) can be found on 50 Objects.

J-Sei Connect: How the Community Responds to Bay Area Shelter In Place

Thursday, April 2, 2020 – video

With the mounting concerns of COVID-19, the virus disaster has dramatically altered our daily reality.  How can we adapt to this trajectoy and how might we move forward?

Guest speakers Art Chen, Satsuki Ina, Alan Maeda, Barbara Morita, Diane Wong, and Rev Michael Yoshii provide support, address needs, shift our focus, and help to prepare the community. They offer a variety of perspectives wih experience in health care, social service, spirituality, and community advocacy.