But the three-day strike is expected to exacerbate vaccine wait times for many patients at Kaiser, which serves more than 9.4 million people across California and is one of the largest private employers in the state. Non-emergency health services including elective surgeries have been rescheduled at some locations as well.
Lily Young has been struggling to find a booster shot for her two young children at her local Kaiser facilities in Sacramento. The strike has made her feel "very nervous" about their ability to get vaccinated before a scheduled trip. "About half of my friends are Kaiser members and we are all just scrambling and trying to get these COVID shots," said Young. "I support the workers and their right to unionize, the right to get fair wages and get compensation, most certainly. But the reality is that it does have an impact on patients."
When Young tried to get a COVID-19 vaccine at her local RiteAid, she was told that Kaiser was no longer reimbursing shots there. The pharmacy said the out-of-pocket cost for the shot was $190. She decided to wait it out. "I did try to make an online appointment, and there's just nothing available," Young told KQED. "Now I'm just at the mercy of Kaiser to hopefully get myself, my husband...
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