SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The first COVID-19 vaccine shipments are set to arrive in California on Monday and the first shots will be given this week. Trucks with the first COVID-19 vaccine containers in the US are rolling out to vaccination sites, and all states are expected to have some by Monday. About 3 million doses were expected to be sent out in the first shipments, which are staggered through Wednesday.
Governor Gavin Newsom tweeted out Sunday morning that the trucks carrying the first shipment of the vaccine left Pfizer's facility in Michigan.
"This is the beginning of the end. We can do this. Wear a mask. Stay home as much as possible. Let's crush this curve and get to the finish line," Gov. Newsom said in the tweet.
In Sacramento, the ultra-cold freezer at UC Davis Health is ready to store Pfizer's vaccine. 15,000 doses will be for Sacramento in the first shipment, according to Sacramento Public Health Officer Dr. Olivia Kasirye. She said those 15,000 doses will vaccinate 15,000 people in the first round and when the second round of doses come in about three weeks later, those same people will receive their second dose then. The Pfizer vaccine requires two doses per person.
The first batch of vaccines will go to healthcare workers on the front line, like ICU doctors and nurses. The Sacramento Public Health Department is putting together a list of those people. Individuals cannot apply or request to get a vaccine. Hospital leaders will choose which staff members get the vaccine first.
Flight carrying first vaccines leaves Grand Rapids, Michigan airport:
"Right now we have a list of registered or licensed healthcare providers and that is the list we are working off," Dr. Kasirye said.
The Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup has already confirmed the Pfizer vaccine is safe for public use after the FDA and CDC approved it as well. This workgroup was created to be a second set of eyes on the vaccine approval back in October.
COVID-19 vaccine shipments begin in historic US effort
San Joaquin County will be getting 4,875 doses of the vaccine and will likely get there Monday or Tuesday, according to San Joaquin County Health Officer Dr. Maggie Park. The county was hoping to get more.
"The state is allocating to us what they think we deserve to get as a county." Dr. Park said.
The Moderna vaccine will hopefully be approved in the coming weeks. The head of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says he’s hopeful that the agency’s outside advisers will clear a second coronavirus vaccine for emergency use later this week.
But FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn says he won’t “prejudge” the outcome of Thursday’s meeting.
It's still unclear when the vaccine will be made available to the general public, but Dr. Kasirye is anticipating it will be ready by early spring.
ABC10: Watch, Download, Read
WATCH MORE FROM ABC10: In San Joaquin Valley region, ICU bed open rate falls to 0.0% amid COVID-19 surge
Some ICU beds are available in Stanislaus County, despite the 0.0% rate, Kamlesh Kaur, a spokeswoman for the county's public health department told the AP.