Sacramento Area Hospitals Racing To Roll Out COVID-19 Vaccines
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — The coronavirus vaccine is making its way to distribution sites across the country in what's being called the largest mass vaccination effort in American history.
UC Davis is getting its first shipment of the Pfizer vaccine Tuesday. Kaiser will receive their first shipment by midweek.
Frontline hospital workers will be the first the get them.
"For me, I believe this is the solution to this sadness, this pandemic," said Eva Teniola. She is a longtime Nurse and known as "patient zero." Once she gets the call, she will be the first person to receive the COVID-19 vaccine at UC Davis Medical Center.
She says she's doing this for the safety of her family.
"A lot of people depend on me and I have loved ones to take care of," she said.
Pfizer partnered with UC Davis in August to carry out part of their clinical trial testing of the vaccine. Jessica Hallstrom volunteered, though she doesn't know whether she got a placebo.
"I had really intense chills, a little bit of nausea, headache, a lot of just shivering," she said.
UC Davis Hospital CEO Dr. David Lubarsky says they will get 5,000 vaccines total. Frontline workers will be first, with one thousand vaccines distributed a day.
They'll start with First Responders in the Emergency Department. That includes not only doctors and nurses, but also custodians, and those who come in direct contact with patients.
"We will win and we will conquer the pandemic," Dr. Lubarsky said, "We can't let our guard down."
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State Senator Dr. Richard Pan and one of the nation's top vaccine experts say despite the rollout, it will still be months before the general public gets one.
"It's exciting to know the end is in sight but we still have a ways to go," he said.
When there are enough to go around, you'll get two doses of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, which is still awaiting FDA approval. Dr. Pan says it's likely you won't get a choice, between the two.
"Frankly, I think you get the one that's available to you first," he said.
Dr. Pan says both vaccines are proven to be at least 90 percent effective.
On Monday evening, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced California will be receiving nearly 400,000 more doses of the vaccine from Pfizer by next week.
