Sonoma County received its first shipment of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine this morning with the delivery of five boxes totaling 4,875 doses, including some earmarked for Sonoma Valley Hospital.
The initial vaccine is intended for those designated as the Priority 1A Tier 1 group, which includes health care professionals in hospitals, long-term care facilities, outpatient clinics, home health care, pharmacies, emergency and medical services, and public health workers in essential and critical industries. The distribution is according to state protocol.
“The arrival of the vaccine is a hopeful sign and it gives us another critical tool as we fight this pandemic,” said Dr. Sundari Mase, Sonoma County’s Health Officer. “Our health-care partners can now begin vaccinating frontline workers and those most vulnerable for getting COVID.”
Of today’s delivery, two boxes arrived at the County’s Public Health Lab. Three other boxes were taken directly to local hospitals: one box for St. Joseph Health for Memorial Hospital in Santa Rosa and Petaluma Valley Hospital; one box for Kaiser Permanente; and one box for Sutter Health, Healdsburg Hospital and Sonoma Valley Hospital.
The doses were allocated on a proportional basis, giving each facility an equal share of doses relative to their size, Mase said.
Each box contains 975 doses. In all, the County received 4,875 doses.
“With this vaccine shipment, we begin a new phase in the effort to end the pandemic and return to normal life,” said Susan Gorin, Chair of the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors. “While it is a significant first step, the vaccination campaign will be lengthy, and we all must maintain public health measures including wearing masks, practicing social distancing and following the latest stay-home order.”
Statewide healthcare systems, including Sutter Health, Providence St. Joseph and Kaiser Permanente, will receive their own shipments for distribution directly to their local hospitals. They are the only facilities in Sonoma County besides the Public Health Lab with the capability to store vaccines at -70°C.
Hospitals, health care systems, and community clinics will administer vaccines in compliance with federal, state and county requirements. Federal authorities also have created a partnership with CVS/Walgreens to disseminate the vaccines through mobile clinics to residents of nursing homes and other care facilities.
The County will be following prioritization guidelines established by federal authorities including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the California Department of Public Health. Prioritization decisions are not made at the local level.
The County has created a website with detailed information about the vaccination rollout.
Meanwhile, a FDA advisory panel is expected to approve emergency use authorization for another vaccine candidate, developed by Moderna and the National Institutes of Health. Clinical trials have shown the Moderna vaccine to be as protective as Pfizer’s vaccine, according to the county. If approved, Sonoma County is expected to receive 5,800 doses of the Moderna vaccine the week of Dec. 21
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