First shipment of Pfizer vaccine arrives in Imperial County

EL CENTRO, Calif. (KYMA, KECY), The Imperial County Public Health Department has received their first shipment of Pfizer vaccines that will be going to medical staff on the frontline of COVID-19.

ICPHD's health officer Stephen Munday called the vaccines a beacon of hope.

“This is just a wonderful day, we needed a beacon of hope, and I think that this is it. I’m very optimistic, based on the clinical trials that took place that these vaccines are going to be helpful and effective," said Munday.

Although it’s a light at the end of a tunnel, Munday says there’s still a lot of work that lies ahead.

I do want to make it clear, that the vaccines by themselves are not going to be enough, at this time, we don’t know whether or not the vaccine will limit transmission, but we do know that it prevents people from getting sick or if they do get sick to have milder disease," said Munday.

“Last night we received approval from the state to redistribute the vaccine. We hope to start redistributing the vaccine as early as tomorrow to the hospitals," said Jeanette Angulo, ICPHD director.

Out of 975 Pfizer vaccines, 475 of the doses will be going to the El Centro Regional Medical Center, 330 to Pioneers Memorial Healthcare District, and 170 will go to the public health department.

“As soon as Jeanette gives us the vaccine. We've had an eternal team here, who has been working on the names of the folks and individuals in the ED and the ICU and we are prepared to start to vaccinate as soon as we get the vaccine," said Adolphe Edward, ECRMC CEO.

Edward said the vaccines will not be given all at the same time, but instead in increments.

“As you know as soon as you get vaccinated you feel some effects and we don't want our employees to be out so we are very careful of how we are staggering who gets the vaccine and when they get it," said Edward.

The CEO of Pioneers Memorial Healthcare District says they are prepared to give the vaccine within a couple of days of receiving it.

ECRMC and PMHD both have roughly around 1,000 employees, but not all are considered front line staff.

The health department says they expect to have vaccines available for the general public by this spring.