SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — If Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine is approved this week, UC San Diego Health anticipates receiving its first allocation of the vaccine next week.
The vaccine will be considered on Thursday by the Food and Drug Administration. Once it receives the vaccine, UC San Diego Health says its first vaccinations could occur shortly after.
"Assuming the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issues an Emergency Use Authorization tomorrow or Friday, we would anticipate arrival of the first allocation of the Pfizer vaccine to UC San Diego Health next week, with the first vaccinations occurring shortly thereafter," a statement from the hospital system said.
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The hospital system says the process of receiving and distributing the vaccine remains fluid and details still need to be finalized.
Who will receive the vaccine first will be based on the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which recommends health care workers receive the vaccination first, along with residents and workers of nursing homes and long-term care facilities.
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Prioritization of who in those first groups receives a vaccination first will also depend on doses available. But those health care workers who face the greatest exposure to COVID-19 patients will be prioritized.
This week, an outside group of vaccine experts will advise the FDA and vote on whether to recommend an emergency use authorization for the drug.
FDA scientists independently confirmed Pfizer’s claim that its vaccine is 95% effective after two doses and said they found no serious safety concerns, according to documents released Tuesday.
Upon approval, California is set to receive 327,000 doses of the vaccine in the first round of allocation. Of those San Diego County is scheduled to receive 28,275 doses. The second round of vaccine allocation is expected within 3-4 weeks.