Monday 11 January 2021
WHAT
Counter-officials will inform the media about the status of the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines in the country.
WHO:
Speakers, director of the health services of Contra Costa, Anna Roth and dr. Ori Tzvieli, deputy health officer and COVID-19 chief operating officer for the country.
WHEN:
10:30 Monday 11 January.
WHERE:
The media conference is held remotely via Zoom. Journalists can use this link to register to attend. The media conference will be broadcast live on the Facebook page of Contra Costa Health Services.
The Contra Costa County health care system is ready to deliver as many as 7,000 vaccines a day in an effort to vaccinate all eligible residents over the next six months. The province expects to triple the number of vaccines offered this week as capacity grows.
Vaccination efforts in Contra Costa County have been in start-up mode over the past month, building scheduling systems and putting staff in place to meet demand. This is all done during the biggest boom of the pandemic.
“We are at the start of the largest public health vaccination campaign in history and it is going to take time,” said Anna Roth, director of Contra Costa Health Services (CCHS). “At some point, anyone who wants a COVID vaccine will be able to get it. Although we are not there yet, the top priority is to make vaccine available to everyone.”
As of now, all 43 4375 doses except 1,400 allocated in Contra Costa have been assigned to people in the Phase 1A and 1B priority groups. All doses are expected to be given within the next 14 days, Roth said.
As there are currently a limited amount of vaccines, immunizations were only available to priority groups in high-risk environments, such as frontline health care workers, residents and nursing homes, and staff. As of January 10, 30,245 doses have been administered across the country by various health providers, including Contra Costa Health Services (CCHS) and John Muir Health, as well as the federal long-term care partnership with CVS and Walgreens. Safeway and Rite-Aid are completing their registration process with the state. Safeway will offer shots in one spot this week, with the next two weeks on board.
Contra Costa County Deputy Health Officer and COVID Chief Operating Officer, Dr.
“We continue to divert every available resource to get shots in the arms,” said dr. Tzvieli said. “At the same time, we are developing partnerships and networks that will ensure that every pharmacy and healthcare provider in the country can provide the vaccine, as more and more people are eligible to receive it.”
The province has opened several vaccination stores in Contra Costa at health centers and other large facilities to vaccinate suitable individuals, and we are opening more sites every week. CCHS has also begun shifting staff from COVID testing areas to vaccination efforts to increase capacity. We have also activated our volunteer medical reserve corps to give vaccine, and the health department is working with fire agencies to use paramedics to administer vaccine.
Provincial health departments are not the only ones acting. Private healthcare systems such as Kaiser, Sutter and John Muir Health – which are the primary healthcare providers for the vast majority of Contra Costa residents – are stepping up their efforts to vaccinate their own members and let them know when it’s their turn. Pharmacies are also coming online to provide vaccinations as more people become eligible. CVS and Walgreens are already vaccinating those living in long-term care facilities and their staff.
About 900,000 Contra Costa residents are eligible for vaccination once the province reaches Phase 2 of the distribution plan. To reach community immunity levels, 75% of those eligible (725,000 people) in the country must be vaccinated. To immunize 725,000 people over the next six months (104 working days), approximately 7,000 people will need to be vaccinated on average each working day. This requires a significant boost in vaccinations from current levels. During the first few weeks since a mid-December vaccine became available, 30,245 shots were given – about 1,200 a day.
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