Monterey County hosts town hall to discuss COVID-19 vaccines

MONTEREY COUNTY, Calif. (KION) Monterey County officials held a town hall to discuss COVID-19 vaccines Thursday evening.

The meeting featured County Health Officer Dr. Edward Moreno. Moreno spoke about the scientific review and allocation process in detail and the recommendations by state officials. Topics included in the town hall featured teachers, health care workers, and information on how to find out more about the effectiveness of the vaccine.

The allocation process of the vaccine was a key issue officials addressed. The method for Monterey County is based on the national allocation policy and set forth by the state, according to officials. It flows from national, to state, to pharmacist to state facilities, and officials say the rest is given to counties. When the vaccines get to that level, the county can determine distribution equity and fairness.

Officials noted that both vaccines will require a second dose either in 21 days or 28 days, depending on the manufacture.

School reopening will not be based on vaccine distribution, according to officials, and the county will continue to follow state guidance and focus on testing. Educators and child care workers are in Tier 1 of Phase 1b.

Moreno was not able to say when the county will be finished vaccinating Phase 1a because there are not currently enough vaccines. He said the amount the county receives is a floating number that varies week-to-week, so officials cannot provide a timeline.

To find information about how register for notifications, find allocation plans, and report side effects from the vaccine, you can access the county portal here and contact your primary care physician for more information specific to your health care plan.

As of Wednesday, there have been a total of 34,072 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Monterey County and 248 deaths. 13,988 people have recovered.