Frontline healthcare workers at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center became the first people in the county to get the first of two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer-BioNTech. Wednesday morning, San Bernardino County received its first shipment of the vaccines, which were disbursed to 19 hospitals. Pfizer shipped 15,600 doses; subsequent shipments will continue to arrive on a weekly basis, and a second vaccine from Moderna just received FDA approval. The county has established the SB County Vaccination Task Force and produced a COVID-19 Standard Operating Guide to distribute the vaccine as efficiently and effectively as possible. The county has launched a vaccine-specific information webpage that shares up-to-date information on the different phases of the vaccine distribution.
The vaccine is being initially administered to front-line healthcare personnel, followed by residents and staff of long-term care and skilled nursing facilities. First responders will also be among the first people in the county to receive the vaccine. In phase 2, distribution will include K-12 teachers and staff, childcare workers, critical workers in essential and high-risk industries, residents with comorbidity/underlying conditions, staff and residents of group facilities, and older adults not included in Phase 1. Phase 3 adds young adults, children and workers in industries and occupations not already included, and Phase 4 includes everyone not already inoculated.
