Los Alamitos Medical Center will receive a portion of the approximately 25,000 COVID-19 vaccines OK’d for Orange County.
“As of today, there are no definitive dates for the release of the vaccines to hospitals,” said Jennifer Bayer, communications manager for the Medical Center. “However, we anticipate and are preparing to receive delivery very soon.”
The Medical Center, at 3751 Katella Ave. in Los Alamitos, will follow state and local guidelines for vaccinations. That means front-line workers in emergency rooms and Intensive Care Units, among others, will be first in line.
“We are hopeful that we will be able to immunize all healthcare workers working in areas that are high risk for COVID exposures in the first few weeks of immunizations,” Bayer said.
Officials at the Orange County Health Care Agency have said the first doses of Pfizer’s FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccine will arrive this week. From there, the vaccines are distributed to the county’s roughly 30 hospitals and other healthcare facilities.
Orange County is seeing a surge in COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths. On Monday of this week, 3,250 cases were reported. That’s the highest daily number to date in the county.
Overall, the Health Care Agency had reported 105,740 cases and 1,694 deaths. At present, 1,287 patients are hospitalized with the virus and 288 are in ICUs. Because of the rise in cases and hospitalizations, and a drop in ICU capacity, Gov. Gavin Newsom has ordered the county back into the most restrictive tier of the state’s four-tier system.
“No one tool alone is going to stop the OC COVID-19 pandemic,” read a Dec. 12 tweet by the county Health Care Agency. “A combination of getting a COVID-19 vaccine, wearing a mask, staying at least 6 feet away from others, and washing your hands often are all needed.”
As a new year approaches, the vaccine has sparked hope, and skepticism among those who consider it unsafe and even an effort by governments to control the citizenry.
Medical professionals at the Health Care Agency and Los Alamitos Medical Center stress that the vaccine is safe after going through a speedy-but-thorough-process, but it’s not a panacea; communities must continue to do their part.
“Los Alamitos Medical Center continues to closely monitor the CDC’s COVID-19 guidance and adjust measures in place to ensure the safety of our patients and staff,” Bayer said.
“We cannot stress enough the need for everyone to continue to practice the necessary measures outlined by public health officials to protect themselves and every member of our community: wear a mask, wash your hands and avoid gatherings. This year, let’s celebrate safely and look forward to a 2021 where we can all be together again.”
