As early as Thursday, California would soon receive its very first vaccine shipments made by the pharmaceutical company, Pfizer. The vaccine is subject to a final review by the Food and Drug Administration this week. Once approved, the United States could start distributing the first batch of doses across the country. According to Pfizer’s clinical trial results, the shot has shown powerful protection against the virus.
Gov. Gavin Newsom stated in his Monday press briefing that California could expect high hopes of beating the coronavirus soon. With the distribution of doses coming in this month, Newsom assured the public that they would administer the vaccine using quick, equitable, and safe methods.
Listed down below are the possible scenarios of how California would distribute its first batch of doses:
California Expects to Receive More than 327,000 Vaccine Shots
On the vaccine’s first allocation of vaccine, California expects to receive at least 327,000 Pfizer’s doses in a few weeks, with additional shipments to follow shortly. Additionally, the state would also get Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine if the FDA authorizes its distribution this month. Gov. Newsom announced on Thursday that by December, Moderna would ship over 672,000 doses to the state.
By the end of the month, the California Department of Public Health awaits the arrival of approximately 2 million doses of the vaccine. The state would administer the first batch of incoming shots to over 2 million people across the region. As discussed in several committee meetings, California would issue the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines twice. According to the department, the second dose would follow in later deliveries.
Newsom expressed on Monday that the state expects to receive 327,000 vaccines from Pfizer’s first distribution. With Moderna’s vaccine also coming soon after, California would obtain more doses than the estimated amount. Within the calendar month of December, Newsom assumed that 2.16 million doses would arrive in the state.
The First Batch of Vaccinations to Arrive in Mid-December
During his press conference, Newsom stated that California could anticipate its first vaccine shipment as early as December 15. The estimated time of arrival would occur once the FDA approves the distribution of the doses this week. Additionally, San Francisco Health Director Dr. Grant Colfax also said that December 15 is the scheduled delivery date of the first batch of vaccinations.
California Expects to Administer Its First Vaccine Shots to High-Risk Groups
Newsom declared that long-term care facility members across California would receive the initial doses of the vaccine, such as COVID-19 patients and healthcare workers.
In the state’s finalized framework, the vaccine would prioritize its administration to high-risk groups. The first allocation (also known as Phase IA) would go to hospitals and other health care facilities. The group consists of essential workers and people who are directly exposed to the virus, such as those working in non-clinical roles like patient transport and environmental services.
Which California Regions and Cities Would Receive the First Batch of Vaccine Shots?
According to CDPH, the state would distribute its first 327,000 doses to the following regions and their respective cities. The list also includes the exact number of shots designated for each sector:
Region I expects to receive at least 126,750 doses. The assigned number of shots for the sector would go to the following cities: Santa Barbara, Ventura, Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, and San Luis Obispo.
Region II would get over 80,497 vaccines. The administration of the shots would go to the following: Solano, Sonoma, Santa Clara, Shasta, Contra Costa, Del Norte, San Mateo, Monterey, Napa, San Benito, Marin, Mendocino, Humboldt, Alameda, Lake, and San Francisco.
Region III anticipates receiving 8,592 doses. The amount would go to its corresponding cities of Yuba, Trinity, Colusa, Glenn, Lassen, Sutter, Siskiyou, Sierra, Santa Cruz, Plumas, Butte, Tehama, and Modoc.
Region IV would get 35,145 vaccine shots. Cities Yolo, Tuolumne, Tulare, Stanislaus, San Joaquin, Sacramento, Calaveras, Amador, Alpine, Nevada, Placer, and El Dorado would receive the doses.
Region V awaits the arrival of 16,706 doses. The following cities would obtain the designated amount of vaccines: Merced, Mariposa, Fresno, Kern, Kings, and Madera.
Region VI expects the arrival of 59,910 vaccines. Cities Inyo, Mono, Imperial, San Bernardino, and Riverside would receive the doses.
