The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and public health officials discussed the plan on Tuesday to distribute the COVID-19 vaccine when approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health Director Dr. Barbara Ferrer said the vaccine distribution in Los Angeles County could begin before the end of 2020.
Pfizer, a biopharmaceutical company, has developed a coronavirus vaccine that is said to have been found to be more than 90 percent effective, according to industry reports.
“If the vaccine gets a green light, we should all understand that there will be a scarce supply in the initial months,” said Ferrer in a meeting with the L.A. County Board of Supervisors. “The Pfizer vaccine is also doing additional studies in the coming months to ensure that this, like any other vaccine that gets distributed, is safe.”
According to Ferrer, as trials continue, there are still some unanswered questions pertaining to whether the vaccine works for everyone and how long it will last.
Pfizer has committed to producing 100 million doses of its vaccine for distribution in the U.S., according to public health officials. Because the vaccine is set to be administered in two doses, L.A. County alone would need over 20 million doses to vaccinate its entire population, so a shortage of vaccines is projected.
The county plans to provide vaccines for high-risk populations first. Priority groups include “first responders, healthcare workers and those most vulnerable,” according to Ferrer. Additionally, officials plan to account for the impact of the virus in low-income populations and communities of color.
“There is going to be a production issue that we’re all going to face,” added Ferrer. “I ask everyone to be patient.”
Although doses of the vaccine will likely be limited in number, Ferrer asserted L.A. County is planned to be among the first areas to receive doses of the inoculation due to its high population and numerous coronavirus cases.
Distribution for the vaccine will likely be challenging, as Pfizer’s vaccine needs to be kept in extremely cold temperatures during transport.
Currently, officials say the Los Angeles Department of Health Services (DHS) hospitals do not have the deep freezers required to store the Pfizer vaccine, although they do have freezers capable of preserving some of the other vaccines in development that do not require such a cold storage temperature.
“We are trying to secure warehouse space and the appropriate cold storage space as we are speaking,” noted Ferrer, pointing out that the Department of Public Health was working with officials on creating a central distribution site with appropriate space and equipment.
The state of California has identified hospitals that would be prepared to receive the first shipments of the vaccine so the county would not be the only vaccine distributor, stated Ferrer. In L.A. County, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center has been designated by the state to receive initial doses of the vaccine.
Additionally, the county plans to utilize schools as vaccination distribution centers, according to the Board of Supervisors. During an L.A. County Board of Supervisors meeting, it was suggested that libraries and senior centers be used as distribution centers.
“We will absolutely be ready to distribute as soon as we have vaccines to distribute,” concluded Ferrer. “But in the meantime, we’re going to need to continue wearing our face coverings and keeping our distance because…it will be a few months out before there will be a vaccine distribution for the general public here and in other places across the country.”
Do you have a news tip? Call us at (661) 298-1220, or send an email to newstip@hometownstation.com. Don’t miss a thing. Get breaking KHTS Santa Clarita News Alerts delivered right to your inbox. Report a typo or error, email Corrections@hometownstation.com
KHTS FM 98.1 and AM 1220 is Santa Clarita’s only local radio station. KHTS mixes in a combination of news, traffic, sports, and features along with your favorite adult contemporary hits. Santa Clarita news and features are delivered throughout the day over our airwaves, on our website and through a variety of social media platforms. Our KHTS national award-winning daily news briefs are now read daily by 34,000+ residents. A vibrant member of the Santa Clarita community, the KHTS broadcast signal reaches all of the Santa Clarita Valley and parts of the high desert communities located in the Antelope Valley. The station streams its talk shows over the web, reaching a potentially worldwide audience. Follow @KHTSRadio on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
No comments:
Post a Comment