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First Vaccines In Sacramento: Health Workers Call It A Hopeful Sign Of 'The Beginning Of The End'

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — A UC Davis ER nurse was one of the first to receive the new coronavirus vaccine in Northern California.

Frontline workers like Eva Teniola are leading the way. She was the first to get the COVID-19 vaccine at UC Davis Tuesday.  Other hospital systems across the area, say now​ it's just a waiting game.

The vaccines arrived Tuesday, packed in dry ice and delivered by FedEx. UC Davis received 4,875 doses.

The first shot came with a small celebration. Teniola said she's been waiting for this day.

In Sacramento County, health officials say initial shipments are set to be delivered this week to several hospital systems including Kaiser Permanente, Dignity Health, Vibra Hospital in Folsom, and Sutter Health.

In Stanislaus County, the vaccines will go to the five acute care hospitals including Doctors Medical Center, Memorial Medical Center, Kaiser Modesto Emanuel Medical Center and Oak Valley Hospital.

At Sutter Hospital, officials say the freezers are ready.

"We will have it set between negative 60 and negative 80 degrees celsius," said Kevin Woo, with Sutter Health.

Now it's just a waiting game.

"We are set to begin vaccinating within hours of receiving the vaccine," said Sutter Health's Head of Pharmacy Ryan Stice.

He says they have a unique challenge. Serving 20 Northern California counties, they'll need to make sure the vaccines are equally distributed.

But who within each hospital gets them first?

"The level of contact they have with patients who are COVID-positive should drive that decision," said Stice.

It's the same at UC Davis where their distribution system is based on exposure. The hospital plans to give out all doses over the next six days. That's about 800 doses a day.

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