Firefighters vaccinated against COVID- 19
Firefighters from across Yolo County serving communities and residents received the first of two COVID- 19 vaccinations this week as a part of the county’s Phase 1A, Tier 1 vaccine distribution.
On Wednesday night the first responders drove into an engine bay at Fire Station No. 3, filled out some paperwork, got their inoculations and then drove out to wait 15 minutes in the event of an allergic reaction.
The entire process — with the exception of the 15- minute wait time — took an average of 10 minutes.
Vaccinations are being administered by Yolo County public health staff with a minimum of three vaccination clinics
to accommodate firefighter shifts.
Firefighters are being given the Moderna vaccine and the second round will be held in late- January and early February. The vaccination is not mandatory.
Firefighters, along with paramedics, EMTs, and other emergency medical services, are part of the State’s vaccine allocation guideline for Phase 1A, Tier 1. Phase 1A is split into three tiers and doses are prioritized by risk exposure to COVID19.
“We are extremely hopeful that this vaccine will have a profound positive impact on the well- being of our personnel, and we are thankful to be able to offer this opportunity to all firefighter personnel
“This protection goes beyond our firefighters. It will help us to protect their families, their peers and the communities we serve every day.” — Woodland Fire Chief Eric Zane
in Yolo County who would like to be vaccinated,” said Woodland Fire Chief Eric Zane. “This protection goes beyond our firefighters. It will help us to protect their families, their peers and the communities we serve every day.”
The vaccine being administered is mRNA- based, a new type of vaccine to protect against infectious diseases. mRNA vaccines do not place a weakened or inactivated germ into bodies; instead, they teach our cells how to make a protein that triggers an immune response inside our bodies. That immune response, which involves antibodies and immune cells, is what protects us from getting sick if the real virus enters our bodies.