Planning information and resources for upcoming COVID vaccines
A COVID-19 vaccine has the potential to alter the future course of this once-in-one hundred years pandemic and get Alameda County’s local economy and our communities back to some level of normalcy while increasing our safety. There is still a lot we do not know, but we are hopeful that we are heading in the right direction.
This is only the beginning and we must all continue to do our part to stay safe while we wait for the vaccine to be widely available. Stay home as much as possible. If you must leave, continue to wear a face covering and keep at least 6 feet of distance from anyone you don’t live with. Wash your hands frequently and avoid gathering with other households.
Find information about the COVID-19 vaccines, local planning, and state and federal planning and resources.
For general inquiries: covax@acgov.org; For media inquiries: eoc-pio@acgov.org
General Vaccine FAQ (ACPHD, 12/21/20)
Alameda County COVID-19 Vaccine Values and Principles
- Provide transparent and accurate information to help residents make vaccine decisions
- Lead with equity and data
- Ensure safe and equitable distribution
- Leverage all venues and partners for broad distribution
A COVID-19 vaccine could:
- Reduce number of people with COVID-19
- Reduce severity of illness
- Reduce hospitalizations
- Reduce deaths
Federal agencies will decide:
- Which vaccines are approved for use in United States (FDA)
- How much vaccine will be allocated to each state (CDC)
- Overall framework for who gets vaccine at each phase of the rollout (CDC)
- Initial Framework: A Phased Approach for COVID-19 Vaccine Allocation (National Academy of Medicine)
- Ongoing research, monitoring, and oversight (NIH, FDA, CDC)
California Department of Public Health (CDPH) will decide:
- Which vaccine(s) will be used in CA
- How much vaccine will be allocated to each local health jurisdiction/county
- State-specific framework for who will get vaccine when (per federal guidelines)
- Which data systems will be used across the state to monitor vaccine distribution and uptake
- Ongoing data collection, monitoring and oversight
Alameda County Health Care Services Agency will:
- Coordinate local infrastructure for vaccine storage, distribution, & administration
- Promote equitable distribution across local communities
- Develop County-specific framework for who gets vaccine when (per state guidelines)
- Conduct ongoing data reporting and monitoring
Emergency Use Authorizations (EUAs)
- Pfizer-BioNTech Vaccine Webpage (FDA)
- Emergency Use Authorization (FDA, Dec. 11, 2020)
- Fact Sheet for Recipients and Caregivers (FDA)
- Fact Sheet for Vaccination Providers (FDA)
- Pfizer-BioNTech Vaccine Webpage (CDC)
Local Planning
Per State and Federal policy, COVID-19 vaccine will be administered to specific populations in phases and community sites would be in the last phase. Local planning will leverage lessons learned from flu clinics, which were modified to accommodate COVID-19 considerations, data on need, and community feedback, as well as our 2009 experience with H1N1.
This is a rapidly evolving situation and we are following closely the work of California’s vaccine planning task force, which is determining many of the policies and procedures for which vaccine gets distributed when, how, and to whom. The State’s decisions will be implemented through our local plans.
- Vaccine Prioritization: Who is in the phases?
- Alameda County COVID-19 Vaccination Plan (Submitted Dec. 1, 2020)
- COVID-19 Vaccine Planning Presentation
- Presentation to Oakland Race Equity Task Force (AC HCSA, December 10, 2020)
- Continue planning with health care providers
- Regional planning with Bay Area Health Officials & Berkeley Health Dept
- Purchase freezers and dry ice to support cold chain management
- Develop communication strategy and informational materials
Vaccine Community Advisory Group
Residents and representatives from a variety of organizations across Alameda County have been invited to support safe, equitable vaccine distribution. While the State’s framework prioritizes vaccination for different groups of people over four phases, Alameda County has some local control over how those priorities are put into practice. We are seeking input on: vaccine prioritization, how to build more trust, effective messaging and managing misinformation.
All meetings will be held via Zoom webinar and via Facebook Live and open to the public as listen-only attendees, with opportunity for public comment & written Q&A.
Meeting #1 (December 21, 2020)
Meeting #2: Tuesday, January 12th, 2021 5-6:30pm
Zoom Link: https://zoom.us/j/95182370779
- Kimi Watkins-Tartt, Alameda County Public Health Director
- Nestor Castillo, Public Health Commission/University Lecturer
- Greg Hodge, KHEPERA Consulting/Brotherhood of Elders Network
- Coordination with health care providers and clinics
- Coordination with internal logistics and distribution functions
- Town halls
- Partnership with cities, community groups, and cross-sector collaborative tables
Reference: https://covid-19.acgov.org/vaccines
