With Vaccinations Underway In WA, Need For Precautions Remains

OLYMPIA, WA — As thousands of doses of the nation's first approved coronavirus vaccine arrive in 29 counties this week, state health officials are reminding Washingtonians that existing public health measures will still be needed for months to come.

The first dozen Washington health care workers received their first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine Tuesday at the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle. On Wednesday, employees and service members at Madigan Army Medical Center joined a growing list of more than 400 recipients to date.

According to DOH, Washington received more than 20,000 of the 62,400 doses expected this week by mid-day Tuesday. The federal government promised the state a combined 400,000 doses of two vaccines by the end of December, pending final approvals expected this week for one manufactured by Moderna. Both vaccines require two doses, spaced about three weeks apart, to reach maximum effectiveness. Regular deliveries are scheduled to begin in early January.

Related: Washington On Track To Contain COVID-19 Surge, But Must Remain Vigilant

The initial group eligible for vaccines, called Phase 1a, includes frontline health care workers, high-risk first responders, and employees and residents of long-term care facilities. The state aims to complete the priority group by mid-January.

Final guidance on who will be eligible to receive vaccines next is still pending, and getting the general population immunized is expected to last into the summer. As a result, the state Department of Health said measures to combat transmission will be necessary for the foreseeable future.

That includes everything from keeping physical distance, avoiding traditional holiday gatherings, limiting time spent indoors with people outside the household, and consistently wearing face coverings in public.

"Even though it may not be convenient, we need to prepare to wear masks for many more months," said Dr. Kathy Lofy, the state health officer. "COVID-19 is mostly spread by droplets. Wearing masks can decrease the spread of COVID-19, and when we combine that with the effect of the vaccine we could see a drastic drop in the spread of the virus."

While both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines have shown to be extremely effective at protection, Lofy said a few unknowns make it difficult to predict how long it will take to achieve widespread immunity.

"There's still a lot we don't know about vaccines," Lofy said. "We don't know how many people will be vaccinated statewide or when a vaccine will be widely available. We also don't know how long the vaccine's protection will last. Until we have more data around those crucial components, masks, distancing and handwashing will continue to be crucial pieces of our disease prevention strategy."

Despite the road yet ahead, Washington's health officials described the arrival of vaccines this week as "a turning point" and "the beginning of the end" of the coronavirus pandemic after a tumultuous and deadly year.

"The development of a safe and effective vaccine has been faster than we could have imagined earlier this year," said John Wiesman, state Secretary of Health. "I really hope we can all take the progress we've seen on vaccination this week as a reassuring sign that the challenges we face will not last forever."