The state says health care workers are at the top of the priority list for COVID-19 vaccine distribution.
Pima County health officials expect the first wave of COVID-19 vaccines to be available in the county by the end of the month. The first vaccines will go to health care workers and people in large, congregate living settings.
The state will send the county enough vaccine, in the first wave, for 50,000 people but that is far from enough.
“Just the health care workers in the county, we believe are around 67,000. The state has a somewhat different number than us. We believe our number is probably more accurate than what the state has,” said Dr. Theresa Cullen, head of the Pima County Health Department.
More vaccines will arrive over time. The first group of vaccines will be sent to Banner-University Medical Center and Tucson Medical Center, according to the county. Those facilities were deemed to have the best infrastructure to get the vaccine quickly distributed.
It will take longer for Pima County residents who are not health care workers to get inoculated.
“Realistically, I don’t see how the general population will be vaccinated — that is, the lowest-risk folks are vaccinated — before June, July, August, September,” said Dr. Francisco Garcia, Pima County chief medical officer.
The state, following federal guidelines, has set up a hierarchy of the order people will get the vaccine.
Garcia said one of his concerns is people will get “sloppy” with mitigation efforts before the vaccine is given to everyone.
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