COVID-19 vaccine may be in Manatee in December. Who will get it first and where?
In the not-too-distant future, the lines of people awaiting a COVID-19 test in Manatee County may be replaced by lines of people awaiting a vaccine.
Dr. Moncef Slaoui, head of Operation Warp Speed, the government partnership designed to bring a virus vaccine to the public, said this past weekend that the first vaccinations could occur on Dec. 12. That would be 24 hours after a Food and Drug Administration advisory committee makes a decision on Pfizer’s request for an emergency use of its vaccine.
Moderna and Pfizer have both said vaccines that they have developed are 95 percent effective in preventing COVID-19.
“While the initial supply of the new vaccines will be limited, it is undeniably encouraging news that these new vaccines will help in society’s fight against the pandemic,” said Kevin DiLallo, CEO at Manatee Memorial Hospital.
What vaccine administration at Bradenton area hospitals and other locations would look like is expected to closely parallel vaccination plans around the country.
“Priority, as suggested by the Centers for Disease Control, would go to health care and other front-line workers who risk exposure by treating COVID-19 patients or who may be exposed to these patients’ bodily fluids and aerosol generating procedures,” Chief James Crutchfield of Manatee Emergency Medical Services, said in an email.
Also included in the first phase of vaccinations would be residents with co-morbidities such as heart disease and COPD and older adults living in long-term care facilities and other congregate settings, who are at a significantly higher risk. They would be be among the first groups to receive the vaccine, Crutchfield said.
“In Phase 1, a projected limited supply of vaccine would require the state to provide vaccine in a prioritized manner and ensure that doses allocated to Florida be distributed to facilities that meet storage and data entry requirements. As additional vaccine becomes available, administration will expand to other priority groups in closed point of dispensing settings as directed by the CDC,” the Florida draft vaccination plan says.
In Phase 2,, the vaccine would be administered by the county health department to other higher risk individuals and other targeted groups within the county.
“It is likely that in this phase, the county health departments will open public mass vaccination clinics, and the department and/or Florida’s Division of Emergency Management might open such clinics to ensure there is equitable distribution of the vaccine, in the same way COVID-19 testing was made available,” the state vaccination plan says.
In Phase 3, the program would transition to open mass vaccination sites, which would also be supported by retail, and other vaccines for children and vaccines for adults providers.
Once the vaccine is widely available and demand for the vaccine stabilizes, the state will transition to providing the vaccine through routine health care delivery systems, including commercial pharmacies. County health departments will continue to offer vaccine clinics that are open to all members of the public as needed to meet vaccination goals, according to the state plan.
The Florida Department of Health’s approach to COVID-19 vaccination planning is based on lessons learned from the H1N1 pandemic, seasonal influenza vaccination activities and the recent Hepatitis A vaccination program.
The Florida vaccination plan also includes coordination with pharmacies, correctional and detention facilities, homeless shelters, community-based organizations, long-term care facilities, public safety agencies, and hospitals.
Hospitals making plans as they await vaccine details
Asked about their vaccination program, local hospitals say they are making plans, but also are in a wait-and-see mode.
“We are relying on guidance from the CDC and the government’s Operation Warp Speed initiative to finalize plans to safely administer COVID-19 vaccines to our front-line staff who choose to receive it when it becomes available,” said Lisa Kirkland, director of marketing at Blake Medical Center, in an email. “Those plans are still being developed and validated internally, so we don’t yet have details to share at this point in time.
Likewise, Manatee Memorial Hospital and Sarasota Memorial Hospital are making their own plans to distribute COVID-19 vaccines.
DiLallo, CEO at Manatee Memorial, said his hospital is “actively preparing” to vaccinate people.
“Our preparation includes scenario planning for receiving the vaccines, establishing a vaccination clinic per CDC guidelines — allowing room for social distancing, one-way directional flow, and 15-minute post-vaccination waiting time — preparing a plan for storage and handling of the vaccines, training staff on procedures for documentation, second dose sequencing and notification, and educating our communities on vaccinations,” DiLallo said in an email.
Kim Savage, public information officer for Sarasota Memorial Hospital, said she hopes to have an update from her team shortly on vaccination plans.
“We have had a team planning for a vaccine for a couple of months now, ensuring we have the capacity to store ample vaccine on site and the space, process and team in place to administer it. We have shared all requested information with the state, but as of last week, had not yet heard when or how many doses of the vaccine we can expect,” Savage said.
This story was originally published November 24, 2020 at 10:15 AM.
