Santa Cruz County submits vaccine plan ahead of emergency authorization decisions

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, Calif. (KION) The Santa Cruz County Public Health Division announced that it has submitted a COVID-19 vaccine plan to the state ahead of FDA decisions about whether to grant emergency use authorizations for two vaccines.

In the plan submitted to the California Department of Public Health, the county said it detailed how it plans to manage and distribute vaccines locally with the goal of providing safe and effective vaccines to those who want one.

Health officials said the vaccine priorities follow recommendations by the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine; the federal Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and the California Department of Public Health.

A vaccine may be available in the county as soon as next week, and at that point, distribution will begin in local hospitals.

Widespread distribution may not happen for several months, but when that begins, the county said its strategies include drive-thru points of distribution and pop-up facilities, but locations have not been finalized.

The first people who are expected to get a vaccine include high-risk health care workers and first responders as well as residents of long-term care facilities for older or more vulnerable people.

Read more about the state's tiered approach to distribution here.

If Pfizer's vaccine is approved, Santa Cruz County expects to initially receive 1,950 doses.

On Thursday, a federal government advisory panel is meeting to decide whether to approve Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine. During the meeting, the FDA panel will discuss data to decide whether the vaccine is safe and effective enough for emergency use.

Watch the meeting live below.

The FDA is expected to make a decision about Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine later this month.