COVID-19 vaccine may arrive in Bradenton within days. Here’s who will be first in line
Inoculation of health care workers at Bradenton area hospitals and long-term care facilities with new coronavirus vaccines could start within a matter of days, after an advisory panel recommended the U.S. Food and Drug Administration grant emergency use authorization to Pfizer’s vaccine.
The FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee started its review of the vaccine’s clinical data on Nov. 20, when Pfizer and its partner BioNtech submitted their request for an emergency use authorization.
The same shot was first authorized by the United Kingdom on Dec. 2; the first two people were vaccinated on Tuesday. Canada was the second nation to authorize the vaccine Wednesday, with shots expected to roll out next week, according to the New York Times.
In Manatee County, officials are preparing for the vaccine to arrive.
“Our first vaccines will be going to our hospital system and to our long-term care facilities — skilled nursing facilities. We could see those vaccines, if they are approved today, start showing up later this week into the weekend,” Jacob Saur, public safety director for Manatee County, said Thursday following a COVID-19 workshop with Manatee County commissioners.
First to get the vaccine in Manatee County would be health care workers at Blake Medical Center, Manatee Memorial Hospital and Lakewood Ranch Medial Center.
The state is also partnering with CVS and Walgreen’s to help vaccinate health care workers at Manatee County’s skilled nursing facilities, Saur said.
The vaccine situation is “fluid,” however, and things can change several times in one day, Saur said.
After the initial push, Phase 1B would see inoculation of first responders, other heath care workers in the community, and those who are most vulnerable to COVID-19.
In Phase 2, persons 65 and older living in the community but not in nursing facilities, and other at-risk populations would be vaccinated. Phase 3 would inoculate the general public, Saur said.
Manatee County has seen several spikes in positive cases with 150 cases in one day recently, according to a report presented to county commissioners meeting Thursday at the Bradenton Area Convention Center in Palmetto.
Manatee County’s older population has been hardest hit by the pandemic with 122 fatalities reported among persons 75-84, 107 deaths reported among those 85 and older, 76 deaths reported for those 65-74, and 51 deaths among those 55-64. The median age of those who have died from COVID-19 in Manatee County is 76, while the median age of those who have tested positive for the disease is 40. There have been no fatalities reported for those 14 and younger.
Overall, there have been 17,759 cases in Manatee County with 392 deaths — an increase of 1,279 cases and 21 deaths since Dec. 1, Saur reported Thursday.
Commissioner Vanessa Baugh asked whether the current strain of coronavirus might not be as strong as previous strains.
“I don’t know about a lighter strain. I know that our local hospital system and our state hospital system have learned to treat the pandemic better and patients aren’t staying in the hospital as long,” Saur said.
Among those who have tested positive for COVID-19 in Manatee County, 90.14 percent have recovered, he said.
There has been a 6.5 percent positive rate for the virus in tests during the past 14 days, and 28 new COVID-19 hospitalizations since Dec. 1.
County Commissioner Misty Servia asked what is needed to achieve “herd immunity” in Manatee County.
Seventy percent of all residents would need to receive the vaccine or have had the disease and recovered,” Saur said, adding that it is possible to catch the disease more than once.
Coincidentally, COVID-19 testing was underway Thursday outside the convention center where commissioners were holding their workshop. The walk-up testing site at 1 Haben Blvd. is open 8 a.m.-4 p.m. daily and is capable of performing 1,500 tests a day.
This story was originally published December 10, 2020 at 11:28 AM.
