Health Department outlines plans to vaccinate Kern County | News

Each stage and phase defined by federal and state guidelines will gradually expand to include more employees and residents until the vaccine is finally available to the general public.

However, the surge in active COVID-19 cases within the county now poses some barriers to the county’s plans for vaccine deployment.

The original plan was for the hospital to vaccinate its staff and then pivot to the rest of the community. However, the surge in the region is now making it impossible for hospitals to handle large-scale vaccinations, Constantine said.

Constantine also warned that his department is currently reaching its limits due to active incidents in the county.

“We have a plan, we have the ability, and we have the knowledge to do this, but it’s all tied to our case studies and contact tracers,” Constantine told the board.

In an interview, Constantine said the department would face a balancing act in the coming weeks, especially if the county saw another surge from the Christmas and New Year incidents. On a fictitious day when 1,000 new COVID-19 cases were reported in the county, contact tracers are tasked with reaching an average of approximately 4,000 people to provide information.

“It’s becoming taxable,” he said.

Currently, travel nurses with county contracts are handling these cases. However, when vaccination becomes a county priority, the department may want to shift some of those contracts to handle vaccination.

No action was taken at the board meeting on Tuesday.

This week, Kern County will conclude its Tier 1 vaccination. This includes hospital employees, skilled nursing facility employees and residents, emergency medical technicians, and emergency medical and dialysis center employees.

Next week, the county will begin scaling up as it expands to the next tier. Initially, the hospital planned to support vaccination in Phase 1a – Tier 2, according to Constantine. This includes employees in primary care and emergency health clinics, home care and support services. It also includes community health workers and public health field workers.

Instead, the county is looking at a list of 80 local providers registered through the state system to administer vaccines. This list includes pharmacies, community clinics, emergency medical clinics, and private doctors. To be on the state-approved list, these providers need the right equipment to store temperature-sensitive vaccines. By signing up, they also agree to vaccinate their own employees and the wider community.

“This is not a public health vaccination program,” Constantine said. “This is a local vaccination program and we rely on our providers for help.”

In an interview, Constantine surveyed the list this week to see which of these providers have the infrastructure and capacity to support the next generation of workers and the deployment of vaccines at a later stage. Said to figure out.

The county is also working on its own plan to distribute the vaccine at a location called the POD Clinic, which stands for Point of Dispensary. They may also be installed on Khan County Fairgrounds and mobile sites.

“It has a lot of space, it’s centrally located,” he said. “Because it’s based in Bakersfield, we’re currently looking for ways to reach more remote areas, but at this point that’s the plan.”

The Tier 2 plan is to contact the employer. The plan is similar for Tier 3 and Constantine said the department hopes to achieve it within a month. This group includes employees working in laboratories, pharmacies, dental clinics, physiotherapy, optometry, and outpatient clinics.

Constantine said it would be a good opportunity for a smaller group to understand what works for the health sector before the team has to distribute the vaccine to more people in the community. According to Constantine, his department has experience with whooping cough and previous mass vaccination clinics such as H1N1.

However, the COVID-19 vaccine has some additional logistical challenges. For example, once the vial opens, it should be used within a specific time frame. Patients should be monitored for 15 minutes after vaccination. There is more paperwork.

“We start with a small medical institution,” Constantine said. “It’s a good way for us to practice, and then we’re going up the road.”

The next two phases will be much larger and the department will need to expand its plans. At this time, we plan to expand the vaccination clinics offered at the trade fair. The county also plans to create a website where the general public can search for providers offering vaccinations.

Phase 1b includes people over the age of 75 and those who are considered by the state to be essential frontline workers.

The final stage, 1c, is the final stage before vaccination is open to the public. This includes people aged 65-74, people with high-risk medical conditions, and other essential workers. The state does not define exactly who this includes.