As COVID-19 cases continue to rise, a number of Bay Area leaders and local clinics announced a new campaign to get at least 80% of all eligible residents vaccinated as soon as possible. 

For some people in the community, the target seems low especially since the South Bay’s vaccination rate is already near that mark. 

In Santa Clara County, many clinics such as Saint James Health Center will begin allowing walk-in patients to get their vaccination shot without an appointment. Officials hope to get over the fears that keep the public health department from reaching its vaccination goals. 

The county is dealing with high rate of COVID-19 cases and it recently announced the rate has bounced back up from the low 20s to 225 Wednesday. 

South Bay marketing consultant Dan Orloff became a new case Tuesday despite being vaccinated. 

“My girlfriend and I, the weekend before, went to an indoor live music event,” Orloff said. “We masked up most of the time, not all the time, and that’s where I got it.” 

County Supervisor Cindy Chavez and other local health officials said the county’s new campaign is aimed at increasing the county’s overall vaccination rate.

Chavez said the 80% target is a deliberate reachable goal to maintain public confidence in the vaccine. 

“We’re so close. We’re at 78.3 or .4%,” she said. “We want to hit that 80%.”

Clinical medical director Dr. Ranjani Chandramouli said “the vaccine is the only way we can get back to a ‘normal life.’ 

Public health officials hope testimonials like Orloff’s, as well as more accessibility and vaccine shots for those five to 11-year-olds will help them reach their goal of closer to 100%. 

“Being vaccinated reassures me that I will not have major symptoms,” Orloff said. “I’m not feeling them. Now, what I have is basically a slight cold.”