Santa Clara County warns of COVID vaccine misinformation

FILE PHOTO - Student pharmacist Wilbur Quimba dilutes vials of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at University Medical Center of Southern Nevada on December 16, 2020, in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Santa Clara County officials are warning residents of potential misinformation being shared with the community about COVID-19 vaccine availability.
Some community members said they have received text messages claiming to have extra doses of the vaccine, the county said in a release Tuesday, adding that the messages are originating from unofficial sources.
The county releases vaccination updates on its website. It shows which community members are eligible to receive the vaccine and how individuals can schedule appointments. Currently, vaccination appointments in the county are being scheduled for qualifying healthcare workers under Phase 1A.
On Monday, counties announced they're working to ramp up vaccination efforts. Santa Clara County supervisors called for transparency and coordination as issues with communication have left the county with no way of tracking how nearly half of its residents will receive their shots.
The county believes the false messages about the vaccine originated from unofficial sources and is investigating the source.