Yuma County sends out ancillary kits as first COVID-19 vaccine shipment expected next week

News 11's Adonis Albright has the latest on the county's efforts to make sure the vaccination process goes smoothly

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - With thousands of doses of the coronavirus vaccine on the way to Yuma County next week, the county is sending out ancillary kits to medical facilities that will be administering the vaccine. Yuma Regional Medical Center (YRMC) said these kits come complete with syringes, needles, and personal protective equipment for vaccinators.

"The ancillary supply kits were actually a planned piece of the distribution from the manufacturer level in coordination with the federal authorities that are governing the entire process. So the perspective was that vaccination is so important that the manufacturers, federal agencies down to the state and local health authority level wanted to do everything they could to facilitate ease for those organizations that will be in charge of administering the vaccines", said Mark Jordan, PharmD, the Pharmacy Director at YRMC.

The ancillary kits also contain vaccination cards for documentation purposes, so patients can be reminded when they need to come in for the second dose of the vaccine no later than 28 days after the first shot.

On Friday, Arizona also provided an update on how many vaccines will be distributed through the month of December. During a virtual press conference, Dr. Cara Christ, the Director for the Arizona Department of Health Services, said more than 384,000 vaccines will be received in Arizona, and shipments will be sent out every week as supply permits.

The agency also released a video featuring Dr. Christ earlier in the day, giving an update on the severity of the coronavirus pandemic in Arizona. With Christmas right around the corner, health experts predict the numbers will only continue to get worse.

“Since Thanksgiving, when many gathered with loved ones and friends we’ve seen the COVID-19 metrics worsen. Inpatient and ICU bed use continues to rise, as does the COVID-like illness metric", said Dr. Christ.

Yuma County will be receiving 4,800 doses of the Moderna vaccine next week. The Public Health District said opting for Moderna, rather than Pfizer's temperature-controlled vaccine, gets rid of a lot of logistical hurdles when it comes to the vaccination process.

YRMC tells News 11 that if all goes according to plan, they are expected to begin administering the very first vaccine to the hospital's frontline workers on Tuesday morning.