First doses of COVID-19 vaccine arrive in Nevada

The first doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine arrived in Nevada on Monday for distribution to acute care hospitals statewide and Nevada’s pharmacy partners to vaccinate residents and staff at skilled nursing facilities later this month.

Nevada is set to receive 25,350 doses of Pfizer vaccine in the first week’s allocation. Of that allocation, 7,800 doses will be distributed to pharmacy partners for long-term care facilities, and 17,550 will be distributed to counties for local hospitals.

The state will receive doses of this first allocation in several shipments this week and expects to receive 91,650 doses of the Pfizer vaccine by the end of December.

“This is a great day for Nevada, and hope is on the horizon,” Gov. Steve Sisolak said. “I am proud of the collaboration that has gone into this effort, and I want all Nevadans to know that while this first allocation is small, it is the first of many.

“It’s critical to remember we won’t see large-scale vaccination throughout America until the spring. We must continue to follow the same public health measures we’ve all heard on repeat over the last nine months: avoid gatherings, limit exposure by working from home and staying home as much as possible, wash your hands, wear your mask.”

Doses will be distributed to hospitals and local health authorities, who will then coordinate with frontline health care workers to administer the vaccine.

All counties in Nevada except Esmeralda, Eureka and Storey are slated to receive some doses of the vaccine ticketed for hospitals. Clark County will receive the most, with 12,260 of the 17,550 doses, with 3,655 going to Washoe, 405 to Carson City, 245 to Elko County and 225 to Humboldt County. Other doses are headed for White Pine (160), Lander (45), Lincoln (45), Churchill (40), Lyon (40), Mineral (35), Pershing (15), Douglas (10) and Nye (10).

This weekend, the Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup, made up of representatives from California, Nevada, Oregon and Washington, confirmed the federal review of the vaccine stating that it is safe and efficacious.

The current draft of Nevada’s COVID-19 Vaccination Program Playbook for Statewide Operations can be found here.