Sonoma County nervous about handing off vaccination management to Blue Shield - Santa Rosa Press Democrat

As they prepare for nonprofit insurer Blue Shield to take the lead in vaccine distribution in Sonoma County, health officials and local elected leaders were skeptical and concerned Wednesday that this move could be another state-led pandemic setback.

Recalling the COVID-19 vaccine debacle here last month at a Rohnert Park clinic operated by a state vendor, county officials acknowledged they are apprehensive about losing control of the inoculation campaign and plan to keep their network of vaccination clinics in place.

Effective March 7, Blue Shield, which California health officials contracted last month to be the state’s vaccine administrator, plans to use the county’s network of clinics, health centers and other partners for inoculations.

Blue Shield also will take control of scheduling and tracking the coronavirus vaccine doses in the county.

County health officials and supervisors discussed the Blue Shield shot takeover during a press briefing.

Under a state contract for which it will earn no profit, Blue Shield is managing a state vaccine distribution network that this week delivered about 1 million doses to residents.

As California surpassed 50,000 coronavirus deaths Wednesday, becoming the first state to reach that sad milestone, the state is counting on Blue Shield to accelerate inoculations.

Urmila Shende, the county’s vaccine leader, said local public health staff members, who have spent weeks working out kinks in the county’s inoculation rollout, will do everything they can to ensure a smooth transition with Blue Shield.

Shende believes the county will receive more vaccine doses through Blue Shield, as has been the case with some of the counties participating in the first wave of centralized distribution.