Orange County’s Vaccine App is Voluntary, Says Health Boss
After an uproar of 215 public commenters spoke during a recent Orange County Board of Supervisors (BOS) meeting, county officials are reiterating to the public that the upcoming vaccine verification program is voluntary.
“I really respect people’s freedom to voice whatever their opinion is, whether it be anti-mask, or anti-vaccine because that’s the beauty of our country…you have a freedom of choice,” Orange County Health Care Agency (OCHCA) director Dr. Clayton Chau told The Epoch Times April 16. “That’s the piece that I was trying to tell people; that I’m not mandating anybody to get the vaccine.”
Orange County Supervisors Slam Othena App for Vaccines
Supervisor Don Wagner said many of his constituents have called him to complain about Othena.
“Othena sucks,” Wagner said. “I’m getting that from 65-plus-year-old constituents of mine who are using that word. It’s a mess. It’s gotten better, but you know it’s a mess. Everyone on this board knows it’s a mess.”
Dr. Clayton Chau, the county’s chief health officer and director of the Orange County Health Care Agency, defended the app and website, which he authorized before informing the board.
“When setting up a system, there’s always glitches,” Chau said, adding that in recent days it has “improved significantly.”
George Stephanopolous interviews Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar about distribution of the COVID vaccine.
The shift came after results from a poll by O.C. Emergency Medical Services. Thirteen county hospitals revealed more than half of their COVID-19 patients are seniors over the age of 60. That age group makes up 72% of people in the intensive care unit and 72% of those needing ventilators. So you see, our ICU capacity dropped because our most vulnerable population keeps going in for those beds and the thought is if we don t stop this, it will continue to be so, Chau said, adding, We won t get out of the lockdown if we don t do something about it.