News

The Joint Information Center announced this afternoon that all 975 initial doses in the first batch of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine Humboldt County received last week will have been administered by day's end.

Distribution of the next batch of vaccines, meanwhile, has began as well.

The vaccine is currently being allocated under the very first phase of distribution guidelines outlined by the state, which prioritizes high-risk populations, like frontline healthcare workers in hospitals and skilled nursing facilities.

According to a press release, by day's end St. Joseph Hospital will have vaccinated nearly 800 employees, while Mad River Community Hospital will have vaccinated more than 300 and nearly 70 staff at Jerold Phelps Community Hospital in Garberville will have received the shot.

The Pfizer vaccine requires two doses administered 21 days apart, with immunity coming 28 days after the initial injection. While trials showed the vaccine to be 95 percent in preventing disease, it's still unknown whether the vaccine will prevent someone from carrying and transmitting the virus and everyone vaccinated is still encouraged to follow COVID-19 safety guidelines, like keeping at least 6 feet of physical distance from others, wearing masks when out in public and frequently washing hands.

The county press release notes the California Department of Public Health notified the county yesterday that "Humboldt County could continue to revive allocations of approximately 1,600 vaccine doses per week for the next few weeks, but changes to this may still occur at the federal level."

“We have been coordinating with local hospitals and other top tier health facilities for months," Health Officer Ian Hoffman said in the release. "As we receive our allotments of the vaccines, we are allocating them as fast as they are coming in.”


See the county's full press release copied below:

Dec. 22, 2020 - First Allotment of Vaccines Administered, Second Shipment Being Distributed
707-441-5000 ; [email protected] ; Monday-Friday 8am to 5pm Opens in new window

All 975 of the first allotment of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines will be administered to Phase 1A-tier 1 priority and high-risk populations in Humboldt County by the end of today, with vaccines from the second allotment going out as well.

Phase 1A-tier 1 prioritizes high-risk populations, including people at risk of exposure to COVID-19 through their work in any role in direct hospital care or long-term care settings, and people at direct risk of exposure in their non-clinical roles, including but not limited to environmental services, patient transport or interpretation. Additionally, this Phase 1A-tier 1 includes emergency medical services and dialysis staff.

St. Joseph Hospital Communications Manager Christian Hill said as of Monday evening, the hospital had administered nearly 400 vaccines to staff, with 400 more expected to be administered by end of business today.

Additionally, Pamela Floyd, Mad River Community Hospital’s Chief Compliance Officer and Director of Risk, Quality and Plant Operations, said just over 300 of its employees had received their first dose. Kent Scown, Chief Operating Officer for the Southern Humboldt Community Healthcare District that operates Jerold Phelps Community Hospital, said they were on track to administer nearly 70 vaccines by the end of the day.

There have also been vaccines administered to Phase 1A-tier 1 staff from other local health care facilities, including staff who will be tasked with administering vaccines to other health care workers.

Humboldt County Health Officer Dr. Ian Hoffman said, “We have been coordinating with local hospitals and other top tier health facilities for months. As we receive our allotments of the vaccines, we are allocating them as fast as they are coming in.”

Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines require two doses—a primer dose followed by a booster shot 21 days and 28 days later respectively.

New information from the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) yesterday indicates that Humboldt County could continue to receive allocations of approximately 1,600 vaccine doses per week for the next few weeks, but changes to this may still occur at the federal level. Guidelines on Phase 1B of vaccine distribution are expected to be released by CDPH shortly.

For updates on vaccination distribution in California, go to cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/COVID-19/COVID-19Vaccine.aspx.


Local COVID-19 vaccine information: humboldtgov.org/vaccineinfo,
Humboldt County COVID-19 Data Dashboard: humboldtgov.org/dashboard,
Follow us on Facebook: @HumCoCOVID19,
Instagram: @HumCoCOVID19,
Twitter: @HumCoCOVID19, and
Humboldt Health Alert: humboldtgov.org/HumboldtHealthAlert

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