Fresno County aims to start vaccinating first responders, but stock of shots is still low

Fresno County’s top health officials said Tuesday they will begin a program to vaccinate Fresno’s first responders early next month.

The Fresno County Department of Public Health has received 99,000 vaccine shots through Tuesday, according to Joe Prado, community health division manager for the department.

Police, firefighters and others will be part of a program in early February. “We are looking to set aside some doses and see the interest within that population,” Prado said. “With their exposure requirements, it’s something that is of concern.”

The county requested a total of 38,000 doses this week, but only got 12,000 from the state, health officials said. The lack of doses coming to the central San Joaquin Valley and Fresno led officials to close down clinics they opened early in the month to distribute shots.

Fresno Police Chief Paco Balderrama noted one officer has died from COVID-19 and two more are in the hospital with the virus.

“Obviously, our police department has been affected by this disease,” he said during a Tuesday news conference.

Initial waves of the vaccine have been offered to frontline health workers before being offered to those 75 or older. Those clinics suffered from the lack of vaccine stock.

County officials also started an effort this week that targets agricultural workers for vaccination.

Social gatherings

Fresno County interim Health Officer Rais Vohra said even as state officials have lifted some of the strictest guidelines related to COVID-19, residents should stay diligent to socially distance, wear masks and wash their hands.

The state’s ban on small private gatherings, though unenforceable in practice, has been lifted. The regional stay-at-home order had instructed Californians not to meet for social gatherings of any size involving members of multiple households.

Gatherings remain discouraged, but purple-tier guidelines instruct that if they are held, they should involve no more than three separate households with masks and physical distancing, and should last no more than two hours.

This story was originally published January 26, 2021 at 4:42 PM.