Healdsburg Hospital Vaccinates 125 Frontline Workers

HEALDSBURG, CA — In an otherwise dire moment of the coronavirus winter surge, frontline health care workers at Healdsburg Hospital recieved a bit of hope this week. Some 125 hospital employees were given the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine just days after the shipment arrived.

The 125 doses was the total amont sent to the hospital during the first vaccine allotment, with several more shipments expended in the coming weeks of both Pfizer and Moderna.

The remainder of the hospital's 300 employees were expected to recieve the vaccine in the coming weeks, a spokesperson confirmed.

Sonoma County recieved a total of 4,875 doses last week. The first shipment of 1,950 doses went to the county's Public Health Lab, while three other boxes were directly sent to the county's six hospitals.

Each box contained 975 doses, which were divvied up among the following hospitals:

• One box for St. Joseph Health for Memorial Hospital in Santa Rosa and Petaluma Valley Hospital
• One box for Kaiser Permanente
• One box for Sutter Health, Healdsburg Hospital and Sonoma Valley Hospital
• Two boxes for Sonoma County Health for Crisis Stabilization Unit, First Responders and others in Behavioral Health that qualify under Level 1A, Tier 1 prioritization.

“With this vaccine shipment, we begin a new phase in the effort to end the pandemic and return to normal life,” said Susan Gorin, Chair of the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors. “While it is a significant first step, the vaccination campaign will be lengthy, and we all must maintain public health measures including wearing masks, practicing social distancing and following the latest stay-home order.”

The second shipment of Pfizer doses was expected to arrive Monday, with a shipment of 2,925 doses.

Statewide healthcare systems, including Sutter Health, Providence St. Joseph and Kaiser Permanente, were expected to receive their own shipments for distribution directly to their local hospitals. They are the only facilities in Sonoma County besides the Public Health Lab with the capability to store vaccines in ultra cold temperatures.

“The arrival of the vaccine is a hopeful sign and it gives us another critical tool as we fight this pandemic,” said Dr. Sundari Mase, Sonoma County’s Health Officer. “Our health-care partners can now begin vaccinating frontline workers and those most vulnerable for getting COVID.”

The vaccine at first will go to those in the Priority 1A Tier 1 group, according to the county:

• Health Care Personnel including those who work in hospitals, long-term care facilities, outpatient clinics, home health care, pharmacies, emergency medical services and public health workers in essential and critical industries.
• Long-term Care Facility Residents including skilled nursing facilities, assisted living units and other residential care facilities.

As of Tuesday night, Sonoma County reported 203 new coronavirus cases, adding to a total of 17,208 cases or 3.38 percent of county residents. Officials reported three new deaths related to COVID-19, adding to a death toll of 180.