Fresno County continues COVID shots for heath-care workers, with wider distribution months away

Even as more doctors, nurses and others in the medical profession receive the COVID-19 vaccination, it could be months into the new year before the general public receives their shots.

It’s part of the process in building up the local health system to inoculate the masses — ensuring there are enough doses in hand and sufficient medical providers to give the vaccinations.

The Fresno County Department of Public Health said the next three to four months will be key in increasing the number of providers that are approved to administer the vaccine.

There currently are 45 providers in Fresno County approved by the California Department of Public Health to conduct vaccinations, having shown they have procedures in place to administer the shots and ensure proper storage.

“We have a diversity of medical providers (approved),” Fresno County interim health officer Dr. Rais Vohra said during a teleconference Friday. “It’s a massive challenge, but we feel optimistic.”

Those in higher-risk professions, including people in the medical field, have the opportunity to be first in line amid the limited number of vaccines currently available.

About 32,000 doses of the coronavirus vaccine have been received by the county health department, according to Community Health Division Manager Joe Prado. Roughly half have been distributed to local medical providers, he added.

In addition, there were about 5,600 doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine that had to be returned due to data logging issues.

“Within Fresno County, at the pace we’re moving now, it’s OK,” Prado said of the distribution rate. “I think the main piece is building our distribution line.

“We’re seeing confidence in the amount of vaccines coming into Fresno County. ... The month of January, I think we’ll be OK. I think we’re going to get better in February. And by March and April, the systems are going to be dialed in.

“We’re going to have a lot more partners in place,” Prado added. “And then, when we’re ready for the general population vaccine — when that’s going to be hundreds of thousands of individuals — we’re going to have a better system at that point.”

Farm workers, an occupation that’s been hit hard by COVID-19, could receive vaccinations by late February or early March, Prado said.

Fresno County directed its COVID-19 equity project — its partnerships with community-based organizations that connects with certain segments of the population — to begin informing and educating those from the agriculture industry about the vaccine.

The equity project was used initially to help inform those particular segments of the population about the importance of testing for the coronavirus.

“We’ve directed the COVID Equity Project to start talking about vaccine and start addressing some of the vaccine hesitancy issues in our communities,” Prado said. “So when we’re ready for our essential workers in late February into March, there’s already been some discussion with that and seeing what that vaccine uptick is in that particular population.”

Latest COVID numbers

As of Friday, Fresno County had reported 66,442 cases of the coronavirus since March.

There have been 711 deaths related to COVID-19, including 65 more reported Friday — the first update on fatalities since last week.

There were 10 open intensive care unit beds available in the county, Vohra said.

This story was originally published January 1, 2021 at 6:24 PM.