News

May 10, 2023By Physicians for a Healthy California KidsVaxGrant

With the first vaccines finally administered in December 2020, Californians finally had much-needed tools to protect communities against the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Physicians for a Healthy California (PHC), in partnership with the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), supported provider efforts to increase access to COVID-19 vaccinations in underserved communities and high-priority health equity areas throughout California. PHC supported providers who committed to expand their operating hours, making vaccinations accessible for working families, as well as providing continuity of care to patients by ensuring historical immunization data is current and accessible to all providers via the California Immunization Registry (CAIR) or Healthy Futures/RIDE database.

The inaugural CalVaxGrant program launched July 2021, followed by four successive grant cycles. By the end of the fifth grant cycle in April 2023, PHC had supported a total of 3,426 organizations representing 4,506 vaccination sites.

Each grant cycle provided support to ensure those organizations caring for patients in underrepresented communities received the opportunity for equal access to medical care. Overall, the program funded $59.3 million to lead efforts in protecting our communities and promoting health equity and the accessibility of vaccines to marginalized communities who are at greater risk for getting COVID-19 and becoming severely ill. Of the 4,506 vaccination sites awarded, 2,656 (62%) had sites in health equity areas that match CDPH’s high-priority zip codes.  

PHC enlisted the assistance of our community health care providers by offering practice support funding in exchange for enrollment as a COVID-19 vaccination provider, specifically to the 18 years and under population. PHC is grateful for their commitment to increasing access to care and keeping Californians safe and healthy.