HUMBOLDT COUNTY BEGINS VACCINATING PEOPLE OVER 75
“We’re vaccinating groups in tandem. We will continue to work with our health care partners to message when and where people can receive their vaccine.” — Dr. Ian Hoffman, Humboldt County health officer
Humboldt County has vaccinated its first residents over the age of 75.
Mad River Community Hospital vaccinated two women over the age of 75 on Friday, said hospital spokesperson Pam Floyd. One of them was 91-year-old Kathleen Duncan who said she was pumped to get the COVID-19 vaccine and appreciated the hospital making it happen, Floyd said.
“I don’t have much time left and I am looking forward to getting out again,” Duncan told Floyd.
Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Wednesday that the state would be opening up the vaccine to anyone who is 65 years or older to speed up the vaccination process, but Humboldt County Health Officer Dr. Ian Hoffman said the county doesn’t currently have the supply to begin vaccinating that population.
Phase 1A priority
County Public Health is still prioritizing residents in Phase 1A of the vaccine rollout, which includes frontline health care workers and residents of longterm care facilities, and Phase 1B, which includes people who are 75 years or older, according to county press releases issued during the past week.
“We’re vaccinating groups in tandem,” Hoffman said in a Thursday press release. “We will continue to work with our health care partners to message when and where people can receive their vaccine.”
Public Health is currently administering about 200 vaccines a day — it administered 200 Wednesday, 210 Thursday and 204 Friday — in addition to those administered by medical providers, according to a Friday press release.
The county’s ability to “ramp up” vaccine administration depends on vaccine production and the availability of vaccinators, the press release stated. The county swore in 21 medical professionals as disaster health care volunteers on Thursday afternoon to aid vaccination efforts.
“The state announced it would provide additional doses to expand our ability to reach more people in the various phases,” Hoffman said in a statement. “While we’re waiting for those additional doses to arrive, we are expanding our infrastructure to ramp up operations.”
So far, Floyd said Mad River “has vaccinated almost all of the local frontline agencies.”
“All the fire companies from Shelter Cove and Garberville all the way up to Trinidad have come here,” Floyd said. “And also all of the psychiatric facilities, rehab facilities — all the ones that are in Phase 1A.”
There is a renewed sense of optimism that permeates through the hospital as the vaccination process enters each new phase of the rollout, Floyd said.
“I wish people could feel what it’s like when certain groups come through for the first time,” Floyd said. “Like when Yolanda was the first one to receive the shot — it was amazing in that room. Then when the firefighters came through and they were so grateful, and now with all these little old ladies who came in, they were all so excited. There is a feeling of hope and there is a feeling of we’re going to get through this.”