Barton Health in South Lake Tahoe has started its COVID-19 vaccination rollout for healthcare workers
The center received 500 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine from the State of California on Thursday.
As with other counties in the state, this first shipment of the COVID-19 vaccine is specifically allocated for healthcare workers and hospital Skilled Nursing Facility residents, under California’s tiered vaccination rollout. Each state leads the prioritization and distribution of the COVID-19 vaccination, based on federal guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC).
An additional 200 Moderna vaccines from the state are expected to arrive at Barton later this month as part of the first phase of vaccine administration from the California Department of Public Health (CDPH).
“The arrival of the COVID-19 vaccine gives us a sense of hope and relief,” said Dr. Clint Purvance, President & CEO at Barton Health. “It provides our healthcare workers with an important level of protection, in addition to personal protective equipment, surge operations, and other steps Barton takes to protect our team. We look forward to the continued rollout of the vaccination with state and county public health partners.”
Under the direction of CDPH and following CDC guidelines, Barton is managing the vaccination’s two-dose administration and recommended schedule for its workforce and skilled nursing residents.
Barton anticipates supporting community inoculation efforts in partnership with state and county health agencies in early 2021 once the respective tiered rollout plans are announced.
The next phases of vaccine distribution to El Dorado County and Douglas County residents will be determined by public health departments.
(Barton Health)
