Hospitals ready to receive vaccines
The first allotment for the county will be 2,925 doses of the Pfizer vaccine
SALINAS >> Hospitals throughout Monterey County are ready to receive their first allotments of the 2,925 COVID-19 vaccine doses expected for delivery in the next day or two, with some already receiving the testing kits necessary to administer the vaccinations.
Beginning the vaccination process could not come soon enough as California has reported that hospitals in the Bay Area region, which includes Monterey County, have reached 12.9% ICU availability.
Karen Smith, a Monterey Count y Health Department spokesperson, said that shipments of the vaccine will go directly to the hospitals, which will be tasked with administering it.
“(Salinas Valley Memorial Healthcare System) received the testing kits from Pfizer this morning,” said Karina Rusk, a spokesperson for the system. “We expect 975 doses of the Pfizer vaccine Thursday or Friday and will begin vaccinating our frontline health care workers immediately.”
Rusk said dosages of the vaccine are currently limited so the Salinas Valley Memorial Healthcare System is prioritizing staff members and physicians and providers who give direct patient care and related support within the hospital. As more dosages of the vaccine become readily available, the hospital will expand vaccine distribution until all areas of the organization are offered the vaccine.
Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula was notified it would also receive 975 doses or the Pfizer vaccine.
“We’re still waiting for the vaccine, but expect to receive the supply kits today,” said Monica Sciuto, a Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula spokesperson.
The supply kits are sent from the federal government and include the necessary items needed to administer the vaccinations. Rusk said Salinas Valley Memorial received a box of the supplies Wednesday morning, which included needles, syringes and alcohol prep pads.
Sciuto said that once the vaccine has arrived, the hospital’s team will be ready to start vaccinating its highest risk staff within about 48 hours.
“We also expect that we will receive vaccines from Moderna next,” said Sciuto. “Emergency use authorization from the (Food and Drug Administration) is necessary before the initial shipping timeline will be available.”
It is expected that hospitals will receive additional supplies of the vaccine from multiple vendors as other companies receive emergency use authorization.
Monterey County Health Officer Dr. Edward Moreno said on Wednesday that the four hospitals in Monterey County will be receiving enough vaccines for their frontline workers. Mee Memorial in King City will be receiving 500 doses of the Moderna vaccine, which is expected to be available one week after the Pfizer vaccine. Salinas Valley Memorial will receive 975 doses of Pfizer and 1,400 of the Moderna vaccine, with the same allocations for Natividad hospital in Salinas and Community Hospital in Monterey. Both vaccines have about a 95% efficacy rate and both require a second dose.
The Monterey County Health Department will be working to get the word out about the importance of the vaccinations, their efficacy, and their safety so everyone who wants to be vaccinated can be as supplies become more available.
In the meantime, Monterey County residents are urged to continue to practice health and safety protocols including wearing face coverings over their nose and mouth, practice social distancing and proper handwashing, and most of all, adhere to the stay-at-home order to hinder the spread of the coronavirus.