LA County aims to vaccinate one-third of front-line healthcare workers by New Year.

Authorities hope to vaccinate one-third of Los Angeles County’s front-line health care workers by the end of this month, as local hospitals have been overwhelmed by the recent surge in COVID-19 patients. ..

A major initiative launched on Friday will immunize 6,000 health care workers before Christmas and 10,000 by New Year’s Eve, according to Dr. Paul Gibony, associate chief of health services at the county’s Department of Health Services. The purpose is to do.

“The scope and scale of what we do is unmatched,” said Gibony, who is responsible for the county’s vaccine distribution. “It was quick. It’s efficient. And above all, it’s very important to the safety of our healthcare professionals and the safety of our patients.”

This impetus is born because hospitals in the region have experienced the largest surge in COVID-19 patients since the pandemic began.

Authorities warned on Friday: Hospitals may soon be unable to provide basic emergency care They are struggling to find space for shortages, overflows in treatment areas, shrinking intensive care units, and patients arriving by ambulance.

“If the workforce remains healthy, we will not be able to meet rapidly growing needs or overcome serious challenges,” said Dr. Christina Garry, director of the county’s healthcare services department, in a statement. Said.

Healthcare worker vaccination efforts began early Friday morning at three emergency hospitals: LAC + USC Medical Center, Oliveview UCLA Medical Center, and Harbor UCLA Medical Center.

According to officials, the county’s emergency hospitals are primarily treating two groups of people affected by the pandemic, low-income patients and people of color, resulting in a surge in current COVID-19. It is borne by the brunt.

Ana De Leon, a nurse in the emergency room at LAC + USC Hospital, said she felt “blessed” to be one of the first staff members shot on Friday.

“I’m getting this vaccine for a family I couldn’t see because I was in the emergency room. It’s very difficult to get home and I don’t know if I got the virus that day,” she said. Told.

The county expected 1,500 medical professionals to be vaccinated by the end of Friday’s day. The next Pfizer vaccine shipment is expected to arrive in the next few days, and needs enough to vaccinate an additional 4,000 workers, Gibony said.

However, because doses are still limited, LA County authorities have followed federal and state guidance on the first vaccination staff in the ICU and emergency departments, and staff at high risk due to age and underlying health. is. Then the next row is the workers who directly care for patients in other hospital areas.

The county will probably receive the first shipment Newly approved Moderna vaccine next week. According to Gibony, these doses will be used in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities, and emergency hospitals with ultra-low temperature freezers will continue to receive Pfizer vaccine. This is because Moderna shots do not have the same refrigeration requirements as Pfizer shots.

“These vaccines give hope, but they shouldn’t be taken as a reason not to wear a mask or stay home. That’s still important,” Giboney said. “We know what it takes to limit the spread of COVID-19 and we need to do those things.”

It is not yet clear whether the vaccine will prevent the spread of the asymptomatic virus or how long the protection from the disease will last. In addition, vaccine availability is not expected to spread in LA County until next year.

Meanwhile, the county continues to report a shocking daily increase in the number of confirmed coronavirus cases and deaths. Authorities have reported more than 71,000 new infections since Monday, with more than 16,500 on Friday alone.