Coronavirus Vaccines to Get Shipped to California This Year
In the next few weeks, California would soon receive coronavirus vaccines to its health workers and medical professionals. The said treatments would prioritize those patients who got infected by COVID-19.
According to chief pharmacy executive Desi Kotis, UCSF would distribute and administer the vaccines first toward its medical employees, followed by those who got the most contact with COVID-19 patients. The previously mentioned former includes emergency medical services conveyors, respiratory therapists, phlebotomists, urgent care nurses, emergency department doctors, and radiology technicians. Kotis announced the details during a virtual meeting and is in charge of supervising the vaccine procedures.
Moreover, the vaccine distribution would also cover UC police officials and hospital housekeeping employees. The latter members are not medical workers, but their risks of coming into contact with coronavirus-infected patients are higher. Due to the previously mentioned reasons, housekeeping stewards of the state health center are part of the first batch of people to get injected with the cure.
By the end of this year, California anticipates obtaining coronavirus vaccines amounting to at least one million pieces. The said immunizations would most likely come from pharmaceutical companies Moderna and Pfizer. State health officer Dr. Erica Pan stated that in mid-December, Pfizer’s first shipment of 330,000 doses would arrive at the region. Two to three weeks after that, they would also expect a second batch containing 700,000 vaccines in total.
Gov. Gavin Announces the Order of Who Will Get Injected with the Vaccines
On Thursday, Governor Gavin Newsom publicly declared the order of who would receive the vaccines first around California. The first batch of dose takers consists of dialysis centers, paramedics, and emergency medical technicians. The second group would include state health workers, home health care, rural health centers, primary care clinics, care facilities, and public health employees. The next group would compose of pharmacy workers excluded from the first two teams, specialty clinics, dental and oral clinics, and laboratory staff. Kotis admitted that the state has yet to decide how many shots it would give to UCSF.
Additionally, Kotis mentioned that employees of the University of California would not get mandated to get vaccinations – although this decision may change later. However, the plan would require flu vaccines given to students and educational staff members. She also pointed out that the state government is currently taking a conservative approach with the dose distributions. According to Kotis, choices may get altered once the vaccination schedules get started to designated first batches to receive the said cure.
UCSF’s Technology Structure and Pfizer’s and Moderna’s Vaccination Results
UCSF is currently in the middle of creating a technology system that can permit workers to schedule their first and second shots of the vaccine, including notifications that can alert employees when they would get vaccinated next. Later this month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration would review and approve Pfizer and Moderna’s produced immunizations. The previously mentioned treatments would require administration of at least two doses, separately given within a time gap of several weeks.
According to Kotis, health care workers would become UCSF’s primary priority when it comes to its plan of executing stagger vaccinations. The said idea is functional, provided that several of them experience side effects from the first vaccine shots, such as a headache, fever, or fatigue that could prevent them from performing their work duties. The expected supplementations would range from 25% to 30% at a time.
As of late, pharmaceutical companies Moderna and Pfizer indicated that a small group of participants experienced the previously mentioned aftereffects during the clinical trials of their respective vaccines. The side effects also include discomfort from the injection site, but the two firms clarified that the soreness was mostly short-lived, mild, or moderate.
