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Thousands of California health care workers may receive their first dose of the coronavirus vaccine today, marking a promising new chapter in the state’s battle with the pandemic even as deadly outbreaks flare-up.
Portions of California’s initial allotment of 327,000 doses were slated to begin arriving at health care facilities Sunday night, with shipments continuing throughout the week. After receiving emergency approval from the federal Food and Drug Administration on Friday, Pfizer and BioNTech’s vaccine was cleared Sunday for distribution in California when an independent panel of experts confirmed its safety and efficacy — an extra step Gov. Gavin Newsom said would “ensure public confidence” in the vaccine. Health care workers treating COVID-19 patients in hospitals, as well as nursing home staff, will receive the first doses.
- Newsom: “To help end this pandemic and move toward phased vaccine distribution across our state, we are calling on all Californians to continue doing their part by following local and state guidance, wearing a mask and staying home.”
The welcoming news comes amid a sobering surge in coronavirus cases that has led to record hospitalizations and severely strained California’s health care system. ICU capacity in the San Joaquin Valley region plummeted to 0% on Saturday, though it rebounded slightly to 1.5% on Sunday. The state on Friday logged a record 218 deaths, breaking its highest single-day total for the second time that week. Meanwhile, sizable outbreaks are cropping up across California, including at a Foster Farms poultry plant in Fresno; a Placer County youth basketball league; the Golden Gate Fields horse racing track in Berkeley; and at state prisons, where many medically vulnerable inmates haven’t been prioritized for release, as CalMatters’ Byrhonda Lyons reports.
With the state expected to receive around 2.1 million COVID-19 vaccines this month, everyone from farmworkers to grocers to teachers to Uber drivers is jostling to be next in line. But since California has more than 2 million health care workers alone and the vaccine requires two doses spaced three weeks apart, it will be months before there’s enough to go around.
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The coronavirus bottom line: As of 9 p.m. Sunday night, California had 1,551,766 confirmed coronavirus cases and 20,969 deaths from the virus, according to a CalMatters tracker.
CalMatters.org is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics.
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