Pima County Unveils Coronavirus Vaccine Distribution Plan

TUCSON, AZ — With its health care partners, Pima County has rolled out its plan to distribute coronavirus vaccines.

When the first patients are inoculated Thursday, frontline health care workers treating coronavirus patients and the residents and staff of long-term care facilities will be given priority, according to a news release from the county.

Pima County is expecting more than 50,000 doses in the first distribution of the Pfizer vaccine, including about 11,000 doses this week, followed by 17,000 about a week later. Banner Health and the Tucson Medical Center will serve as the first vaccination sites and will help to distribute the vaccines. Each Pfizer and Moderna vaccine will require two doses per patient, doled out either 21 or 28 days apart.

The distribution plan is broken out into phases based on need.

Phase 1A (Dec. 2020 to Spring 2021)

• Health care workers
• EMS workers
• Long-term care residents
• Long-term care staff

Phase 1B (Dec. 2020 to Spring 2021)

• Health care workers not included in 1A
• Adults in congregate settings
• Law enforcement
• K-12 and College Educators
• Child care workers
• Essential service workers

Phase 1C (Dec. 2020 to Spring 2021)

• Adults older than 65
• Adults of any age with high-risk conditions

Phase 2 (Spring 2021 to Summer 2021)

• Any remaining Phase 1 populations
• Additional high-risk or critical populations
• General population

Phase 3 (Summer 2021 and beyond)

• Any remaining Phase 1 or Phase 2 populations
• General population

Other hospitals and health care partners will likely receive the Moderna vaccine before the end of the month for distribution to their employees.

According to Crystal Rambaud, the Pima County Health Department Manager for Vaccine Preventable Diseases, a partnership between Walgreens, CVS and long-term care facilities in the County will allow staff and residents to receive direct vaccination.

For members of the 1C group and beyond, distribution will be much broader, notably at doctor's offices and clinics.

Dr. Theresa Cullen, the Pima County Health Director, said the period of vaccination for all of the priority groups identified in Phase 1 could take at least five months.

“It is possible this timeline could accelerate,” she said, pointing to vaccine availability, which could vary.

While a vaccine is an exciting development in the fight against the coronavirus, Cullen urged Pima County to continue to take the virus seriously and stick to mitigation efforts like wearing face masks and social distancing.

“Obviously the individuals who receive the vaccine will get protection after the second shot," she said. "In the meantime, we encourage and really plead with the community to stay committed to the activities we know will help mitigate the transmission we are currently seeing.”