First round of vaccines expected by Friday, as ICU bed availability drops to 0% countywide
The first shipments of the much-anticipated vaccine for COVID-19 could arrive in Riverside County on Friday (Dec. 18). Local health officials are working with area hospitals to vaccinate thousands of healthcare workers on the frontlines.
The vaccine comes as Riverside County’s ICU bed availability has dropped to 0%. Local hospitals say they’ll be implementing their surge plans, working to create additional ICU space to provide care for patients in need.
The recently approved vaccine is expected to arrive at several pre-selected hospitals and county health facilities, where they will be housed until transported to other medical locations.
Riverside County is expected to receive between 14,000 and 15,000 doses on Friday. Healthcare workers with direct exposure to the virus will be vaccinated first. Each Pfizer vaccine requires two doses.
"With so much grim news lately with the pandemic, it is great that we can give the public something so positive that we believe can turn this around," said Kim Saruwatari, director of Public Health. "This is a turning point in the pandemic and we are looking forward to a time in the not-to-distant future when we can vaccinate tens of thousands of our neighbors against this virus."
The Food and Drug Administration authorized the emergency use of the Pfizer vaccine last week, setting off a massive plan to ship millions of doses throughout the country. Riverside County officials, working with state and federal officials, developed a distribution plan to get the doses to thousands of health care workers under the phased system of allocation.
"The vaccine is a lifesaving breakthrough in the battle against this global pandemic," said Board Chair V. Manuel Perez, Fourth District Supervisor. "It comes at an urgent time, especially for our health care workers who face a worsening situation at hospitals throughout Riverside County and our nation. It is ever more critical that we follow public health requirements, wear a mask, maintain physical distancing and avoid unsafe crowds so we can all help each other."
