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Press release from the Humboldt County Joint Information Center:

All 975 of the first allotment of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines will be administered to Phase 1A-tier 1 priority and high-risk populations in Humboldt County by the end of today, with vaccines from the second allotment going out as well.

Phase 1A-tier 1 prioritizes high-risk populations, including people at risk of exposure to COVID-19 through their work in any role in direct hospital care or long-term care settings, and people at direct risk of exposure in their non-clinical roles, including but not limited to environmental services, patient transport or interpretation. Additionally, this Phase 1A-tier 1 includes emergency medical services and dialysis staff. 

St. Joseph Hospital Communications Manager Christian Hill said as of Monday evening, the hospital had administered nearly 400 vaccines to staff, with 400 more expected to be administered by end of business today. 

Additionally, Pamela Floyd, Mad River Community Hospital’s Chief Compliance Officer and Director of Risk, Quality and Plant Operations, said just over 300 of its employees had received their first dose. Kent Scown, Chief Operating Officer for the Southern Humboldt Community Healthcare District that operates Jerold Phelps Community Hospital, said they were on track to administer nearly 70 vaccines by the end of the day. 

There have also been vaccines administered to Phase 1A-tier 1 staff from other local health care facilities, including staff who will be tasked with administering vaccines to other health care workers. 

Humboldt County Health Officer Dr. Ian Hoffman said, “We have been coordinating with local hospitals and other top tier health facilities for months. As we receive our allotments of the vaccines, we are allocating them as fast as they are coming in.”  

Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines require two doses—a primer dose followed by a booster shot 21 days and 28 days later respectively.  

New information from the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) yesterday indicates that Humboldt County could continue to receive allocations of approximately 1,600 vaccine doses per week for the next few weeks, but changes to this may still occur at the federal level. Guidelines on Phase 1B of vaccine distribution are expected to be released by CDPH shortly. 

For updates on vaccination distribution in California, go to cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/COVID-19/COVID-19Vaccine.aspx.