COVID vaccine arrives in Placer County as hospitals face ‘toughest part of the pandemic’

The first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have arrived in Placer County.

About 4,000 Placer County health care workers will receive the first dose of the vaccine this week, Dr. Rob Oldham, the county’s director of health and human services and interim health officer, said in a public meeting Tuesday. And another 3,000 doses are on the way for the county’s most vulnerable residents living in long-term care facilities.

“Our entire community has sacrificed and suffered throughout this pandemic, but our health care workers and long-term care facility residents have made special sacrifices and have faced especially significant burdens,” Oldham said. “So we are so happy to see some potential relief coming their way soon and to have the real hope of having a vaccine available to the rest of our community in the coming months.”

The news comes as Placer County ran out of available adult ICU beds on Tuesday, according to the county’s COVID-19 dashboard.

The county reported 173 new cases and one more death from the virus on Tuesday. At least 184 people are hospitalized with the virus, and 23 of those cases were severe enough to require an ICU bed, according to state COVID-19 data.

“Hospitals are increasingly becoming pressed to respond to this pandemic,” Oldham said. “In short, we’re experiencing the toughest part of the pandemic so far.”

But Oldham said the reporting of ICU capacity can vary widely day-to-day, and doesn’t accurately reflect hospitals’ ability to use other beds to treat patients who require critical care.

“So while this is a very serious situation, we want to reassure the public that our hospitals have robust surge plans, are constantly adjusting and can still take care of people,” he said.

Deaths attributed to COVID-19 have risen to 94 in the county; a majority of those were 80 years old or older. The case rate stands at 48.3 cases per 100,000 residents, outpacing the state’s average of 24 per 100,000.

Placer County had been tight-lipped about its vaccine plan, saying in a Dec. 1 survey submitted to the state that the county had not yet entered into agreements with community partners for dispensing the vaccine. The county had said it was working to build a larger vaccinator workforce, including utilizing pharmacy and nursing students in later stages.

In Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting, Mike Romero, public health program manager, said the county is actively hiring registered nurses and licensed vocational nurses for vaccine clinics.

The coronavirus vaccine requires two doses over a roughly four-week period to build full immunity. After the first dose is given, it takes about 12 days to develop some immunity. The second dose is given around the third week and develops full immunity by the end of the fourth week.

“So unlike other vaccine efforts that we’ve done where there’s typically one dose, our efforts will be doubled with providing the second dose which provides the maximum support that vaccine provides,” Romero said.

It is unclear when more of the vaccine will arrive for the general public. But when it does, the county said it will identify sites across the county so residents will have easier access to clinics.

This story was originally published December 16, 2020 at 11:49 AM.