When will COVID-19 vaccine come to SLO County? Here’s what we know
Two coronavirus vaccines had shown promising results as of Wednesday.
When those vaccines will be available in San Luis Obispo County, however, remains unclear.
On Nov. 9, medical company Pfizer announced that its vaccine trial was more than 90% effective upon first analysis, a number they later boosted to 95%. And Moderna announced Monday that Phase 3 of its trial has shown the vaccine was around 94.5% effective.
If the vaccines are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for emergency use, they could be available to select groups before January, according to the San Luis Obispo County Public Health Department.
“Based on what we know so far, the vaccine may be available to healthcare workers and vulnerable populations as early as the end of 2020,” county Public Health Department spokesperson Michelle Shoresman wrote in an email to the Tribune.
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the goal of Operation Warp Speed, the government’s strategy to accelerate the vaccine process, is to begin distributing the vaccine prior to 2021.
However, there is no specific date for the start of distribution at this time.
Who will get COVID-19 vaccine first?
Because supply of coronavirus vaccines will be limited, the CDC has released guidelines recommending that healthcare workers, workers in essential and critical industries, people with underlying medical conditions and people over the age of 65 be the first to receive it.
The county will be following state and federal guidelines on vaccine distribution, which may mean that healthcare workers and people in vulnerable groups will be prioritized, according to Shoresman.
Service members at Vandenberg Air Force Base near Lompoc are also slated to be among the first to receive the vaccine from Pfizer.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, however, is preparing to distribute the COVID-19 vaccine to the general public when enough resources become available.
On Thursday, the DHHS announced a partnership with many chain pharmacies to distribute the vaccine across the United States, according to a news release.
Companies with San Luis Obispo County locations, including CVS, Rite Aid, Albertsons and Costco., have signed up to distribute the vaccine.
Shoresman wrote that there is no specified date for when the vaccine will be available in local pharmacies.
The county did not provide any further details Wednesday morning regarding the vaccine.
This story was originally published November 18, 2020 at 11:30 AM.
