COVID-19 vaccine expected to roll out soon in Imperial County

CBS 13's Alexandra Rangel has details on the timeline

EL CENTRO, Calif. ( KYMA, KECY) - The coronavirus vaccine is coming to Imperial County, and it should be here by the end of the month.

That's what the Imperial County Public Health Department (ICPHD) told the Board of Supervisors Tuesday morning.

According to the health department, Imperial County could see a COVID-19 vaccine in as little as two weeks.

Both Pfizer and Moderna which have shown promising results are expected to roll out in the valley.

The ICPHD has been preparing for a vaccine rollout for the past several months.

Although an exact shipment date is still unclear, the health department is expecting a small batch of Pfizer vaccines in about two weeks.

They're also expecting a small batch of Moderna vaccines by the end of this year.

Both vaccines require two doses.

They also require special storage conditions that the county says they have available.

“What the vaccine has been shown to do is decrease the likelihood that someone would become severely ill once they are vaccinated," said Stephen Munday, ICPHD health officer.

“We’re expecting to get our initial allocation sometime in the middle of the month. One way that we are being asked to allocate this is to use all of that as the first dose, for as many people as possible," said Munday.

Tuesday on 13 On Your Side, Alexandra Rangel looks into the logistics behind the vaccine's distribution.