County receives nearly 3,000 vaccines this week,

UKIAH » After receiving more than 2,700 doses of Covid-19 vaccines this week, Mendocino County officials reported Tuesday that they are planning to host six “vaccination events,” including one that will deliver the first round of second inoculations for people who got their initial shots three weeks ago.

“We received 1,400 first doses and 400 second doses of the Moderna vaccine, as well as 300 first doses and 675 second doses of the Pfizer vaccine,” Bekkie Emery, manager of the county’s Department Operations Center, is quoted as saying in a Tuesday press release. Emery explained that the latest delivery of vaccines will allow the county to “provide our first series of second vaccines, and schedule six vaccination events, two on the coast and four in Ukiah.”

Three vaccination clinics are scheduled at the Redwood Empire Fairgrounds in Ukiah this week, with the first on Jan. 13 reported to be administering first doses to “firefighters, criminal justice personnel, law enforcement and crisis counselors,” as well as second doses of the Pfizer vaccine for those who received their first dose on Dec. 22.

Another clinic is scheduled for Thursday for “InHome Supportive Service workers, food service workers and protective service workers, and again for those needing their second Pfizer dose.” There will also be another clinic hosted at the Ukiah Valley Conference Center that will reportedly “vaccinate a minimum of 250 teachers in an appointment-only clinic.”

Another clinic at the fairgrounds on Friday will reportedly vaccinate “education and childcare providers and agricultural workers,” and Emery noted that all three clinics at the fairgrounds “will require verification of meeting the required ‘tier’ criteria. People wishing to be vaccinated must present two sources of verification and a pay stub verifying your employment status.”

Two vaccination clinics for fire and EMS personnel have been scheduled in Fort Bragg on Thursday and Friday, and Emery said the county is “creating protocols for several of our rural and community clinics so they can soon begin vaccinating on-site.”

The county also recently “convened the Mendocino Ethics Covid Ad Hoc Committee,” which Public Health Officer Dr. Andy Coren said is intended to “advise our Department Operations Center and health officers on ethical matters involving distribution of Covid-19 vaccines, in alignment with guidelines from the FDA, the California Department of Public Health, and our county’s ethics order. That order stipulates that vaccines will be distributed in a sequence designed to maximize benefits and minimize harm, promote justice, mitigate health inequities, and promote transparency.”

The members of the group, selected by Dr. Coren, are described as: “Dr. Ashley Porteous, Jackeline Orozco, representing the Latino community and Kat Willits, representing Native Americans and the Round Valley Tribal Community. Becky Walker, employed with the Fort Bragg Unified School District, will represent schools and educators, and Dr. William Miller represents hospitals and the Mendocino Coast. Dr. Mark Apfel represents clinics and the Anderson Valley community. Dr. Ron Epstein is serving as an alternate member.”