COVID-19 vaccinations begin

WEST PLAINS – Local first responders and selected health care workers have begun receiving vaccinations of one of the COVID-19 vaccines — with plans being discussed on how to more widely distribute doses once those become available to the general public.

According to a Spokane Regional Health District news release, the district began administering the Moderna two-dose vaccine on Monday, Jan. 4, to first responders at a drive-thru clinic at the Spokane Fire Training Center. The district is coordinating with Spokane County EMS and Trauma Care Council to provide training to local first responders who will assist with the clinic and future vaccination operations — conducting a trial run last Wednesday and Thursday, Dec. 30 and 31, in which those participating received inoculations.

“We had three personnel, Jeff Anderson, Tim Steiner (both full time), and one of our new Cadet EMT’s Rudy Torrez, receive their vaccine last Thursday in preparation to assist with the First Responder Vaccination Clinic,” Cheney Fire Chief Tom Jenkins said in an email. “My goal is to have all four of our newly established Cadet EMT’s help pull some shifts at the Clinic. In total, there would be, at a minimum, two full-time and four Cadet EMTs (total of six) that would be helping from Cheney.”

Jenkins said the clinic will be open for the next 10 days to all first responders, health care workers and EMS providers in the county before moving on to the next group eligible for shots under the state Department of Health’s vaccination phase 1A plan. Under the plan, high-risk workers in health care settings, high-risk first responders and residents and staff of nursing homes, assisted living facilities and other community-based, congregate living settings with most of the individuals are over age 65 receive either the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines first, followed by all other health care workers.

Also receiving doses last week under the plan were select staff at Eastern State Hospital in Medical Lake. The facility received the Moderna vaccine on Monday, Dec. 28, with shots being voluntary and staff with the highest risk being first in line.

According to a news release, Eastern State Hospital currently has seven employees with the virus. A total of 72 have contracted COVID-19, including one individual who died of the disease in April.

Currently, there is one active case of the virus amongst patients at Eastern. A total of 19 clients have recovered from COVID-19 at the Medical Lake facility.

According to the state Department of Health, 358,025 vaccine doses have been ordered, 111,150 from Pfizer and 171,800 from Moderna, with all but 100 Moderna doses delivered as of Dec. 30. Through Dec. 29, 56,236 doses of the Pfizer vaccine had been administered, along with 13,106 of the Moderna vaccine.

This week, the state anticipated allocating 57,525 Pfizer doses and 44,500 Moderna doses, with 43,375 doses going to 87 sites in 26 counties and 58,650 doses going to support long-term care facilities and 17 tribes and Urban Indian Health Programs. Additionally, 75,075 Pfizer doses ordered and delivered for long-term care facilities in the original order had not been administered.

Vaccinations for long-term care facilities residents and staff began last week. This week and next, under the federal Pharmacy Partnership Program, Walgreens and CVS have several onsite clinics planned specifically for these facilities, with the shared goal of completing the first dose of nursing home vaccinations in the next three weeks.

“We are being told that it is coming on Jan. 9,” Cheney Care Center Executive Director Keith Fauerso said. “I don’t know much other than our residents will be first to receive it.”

As part of its plan, the SRHD created a task force and advisory committee to plan for future phases of the vaccine rollout as well as working with community groups, social agencies and healthcare systems on a coordinated effort to administer inoculations.

“Some of the prep work has been discussions of, when it is time to inoculate the general population, that first responders establish their drive-through clinics to serve their respective population(s),” Jenkins said. “I have started the discussion with EWU to possibly use the football stadium parking/tailgating lots for this for Cheney and the surrounding areas.”

John McCallum can be reached at [email protected].