Who's Getting The Coronavirus Vaccine First In California?

CALIFORNIA — An airplane carrying the precious cargo of some 33,150 Pfizer vaccines touched ground in Los Angeles Monday, with hundreds of thousands more doses arriving by the end of the month. Its arrival marks the first major pushback against the coronavirus in California.

But who will be first in line to receive it?

With a limited amount of doses, Gov. Gavin Newsom, along with the state's top health brass have determined that health workers and residents of long-term care facilities should receive the first round of the two-dose vaccine.

And some administrations were already given to care workers Monday, with Helen Cordova, an intensive care unit nurse at Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center, becoming the first.

"I’m feeling great. I’m excited. I’m hopeful," Cordova told reporters after receiving the shot Monday. "And I really encourage everyone to consider receiving the vaccine so we can start putting an end to this pandemic."

Newsom was there to witness the highly anticipated moment and spoke from the hospital.

"It’s a day to celebrate. But again, it’s a day to be mindful about the challenge we face," he said.

SEE ALSO: Hollywood Nurses Receive Coronavirus Vaccine At Kaiser Hospital

The state is expected to receive a total of 327,600 initial doses this week. Newsom later said that another 393,000 more Pfizer vaccines could be coming to California as soon as next week.

Newsom further announced Tuesday morning that 672,000 doses of Moderna were expected to arrive in the state by the end of December.

"There is light at the end of the tunnel," Newsom said Tuesday. "This has been a very optimistic 48 hours."

Now that the vaccine is here, state officials will look to the three tiers that were drawn up to determine who is eligible to receive the first dose of the vaccine. Pfizer's vaccine will be rolled out to as many people within the tiers in their ranked order as possible.

California has roughly 2.4 million health care workers, so the first shipment won't cover everyone working in the medical field.

This is where the tiers come in.

"During Phase 1a, if there are not enough doses of COVID-19 vaccine for all who choose to receive them, then health departments should subprioritize doses as needed to match the level of available supplies in a sequential fashion using the following ranked categories," the state outlined in its allocation plan.

But the outline also says that health departments may adjust this ranking system if information about the vaccine evolves or changes.

The tier system indicates that the following Californians will be first in line:

Tier 1

• Those working in acute care, psychiatric and correctional facility hospitals
• Those working in skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities and similar settings for older or medically vulnerable individuals
• Also, in concordance with ACIP, residents in these settings will be vaccinated
• Paramedics, EMTs and others providing emergency medical services
• Dialysis center workers

Tier 2

• Intermediate care facilities for persons who need non-continuous nursing supervision and supportive care
• Home health care and in-home supportive services
• Community health workers
• Public health field staff
• Primary Care clinics, including Federally Qualified Health Centers, Rural Health Centers, correctional facility clinics, and urgent care clinics

Tier 3

Other settings and health care workers, including:

• Specialty clinics
• Laboratory workers
• Dental and other oral health clinics
• Pharmacy staff not working in settings at higher tiers

"Once it is in, we're just going to get it all out in 48 hours," Orange County CEO Frank Kim said earlier this week. "I don't want to sit on it. The minute it comes in I don't care what time of day it is, I'll push it out."

Officials anxiously awaited the arrival of the vaccine through the weekend, with Newsom tweeting updates about its journey to the Golden State.

"This is the beginning of the end," Newsom tweeted Sunday. "We can do this...Let's crush this curve and get to the finish line."

Just got word from Pfizer -- CA is now expecting 393,000 more doses of the #COVID19 to arrive next week.

Excellent news as we begin to vaccinate healthcare workers and long term care residents across the state. pic.twitter.com/m0iwFKfoui
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) December 15, 2020

While the rollout will begin with a slew of beleaguered health workers, it won't do much to slow an increasingly dire surge.

"We are not at the finish line yet," Newsom said Tuesday morning, announcing that 142 coronavirus related deaths had been reported in the last 24 hours.

Newsom also presented some "sobering news" Tuesday, with the announcement that 5,000 additional body bags had been purchased for the state inventory. The governor also said the state was looking at recruiting additional health care workers from overseas as surge in cases continues to fill hospitals and exhaust staffing statewide.

"Hospitals are overwhelmed with admitted patients to both the floors and the ICUs," Dr. Carl Schultz, EMS director for Orange County's Health Care Agency, wrote in a letter to hospitals, urging them to activate surge plans. "At the current rate of deterioration, the EMS system may collapse unless emergency directives are implemented now."

By vaccinating frontline medical workers first, the hope is that the new Pfizer product will lend them some defense against the virus as they face a growing number of patients who are contagious with the virus.

In response to a major statewide staffing issue at hospitals, Newsom also moved to relax quarantine rules for heath care workers, reducing the required quarantine time from 14 days to 10 or as low as seven days for those who are asymptomatic.

“This is a moment for hope, and it is also a time to remain vigilant as we face the most intense surge yet," Newsom said in a statement Monday. "While we have prepared for this surge with beds and equipment, staffing shortages are real and impact our medical system. There’s light at the end of the tunnel and I am calling on all Californians to do our part to get us through this – wear a mask, reduce mixing, stay home, stop the spread and save lives. Together we will get through this."

SEE ALSO: Coronavirus Vaccine: Most In CA Want, But Many Have Concerns

Health officials celebrated the swift arrival of the vaccine to the Golden State, with Newsom repeating the mantra "hope is here."

"This is a tremendous scientific achievement and a moment of hope for all Californians," said Dr. Mark Ghaly, Secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency. "But it is not a moment to let down our guard. COVID-19 is spreading like a wildfire throughout our state and we need to stay home and wear a mask to preserve our health care delivery system until the vaccine is widely available and adopted in our state."

The head of the CDC signed off on the recommendation of an advisory committee Sunday, officially permitting the vaccine to be administered in the United States.

It is said to be 95 percent effective in preventing the coronavirus. The Pfizer vaccine was co-developed by German partner BioNTech. It needs to be stored at minus 94 degrees Fahrenheit. Experts representing a coalition of West Coast states also signed off on the vaccine's safety Sunday night.

A second vaccine made by Moderna is pending approval from the FDA, but public health officials in California anticipate confirmation and distribution of that vaccine as early as next week.

"To help end this pandemic and move toward phased vaccine distribution across our state, we are calling on all Californians to continue doing their part by following local and state guidance, wearing a mask and staying home," Newsom said.

SEE ALSO:

• Coronavirus Vaccine: Most In CA Want, But Many Have Concerns
• Coming To California: What We Know About The Vaccine Rollout
• Alameda's U.S. Coast Guard Base One Of 16 Bases To Get Vaccine
• County Receives First COVID-19 Vaccines For Civilians, Military
• Riverside County At 0% ICU Bed Capacity As Nurses' Strike Looms