‘Long road ahead’: San Francisco begins vaccinations amid ongoing COVID-19 surge
San Francisco began administering the COVID-19 vaccine to frontline healthcare workers Tuesday, distributing a first batch of 12,675 doses to hospitals across the city.
The doses are being allocated based on the percentage of healthcare workers at each hospital and the number of COVID-19 patients the facilities serve. Each hospital is responsible for identifying the individuals who should get the vaccine first in compliance with state and federal guidelines.
“We are embarking on a vaccine distribution effort unlike anything this country or San Francisco has ever seen,” said Dr. Grant Colfax, San Francisco’s director of public health. “While this is a significant moment that we should celebrate, we have a long road ahead of us.”
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The first vaccine in San Francisco went to Dr. Antonio Gomez, medical director of critical care at the public Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital. The second went to Phung Nguyen, a registered nurse in intensive care at the hospital.
San Francisco is experiencing a major surge of the coronavirus and has been under a regional stay-at-home order since Dec. 6.
Mayor London Breed called the vaccine “good news” after a tough year but warned residents to remain cautious.
“This virus is still in our community, and we must remain just as vigilant — taking care to stay home as much as possible, wear face coverings, keep our distance, wash our hands frequently, and avoid gatherings,” Breed said.
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