Nevada begins distribution of COVID-19 vaccine to hospitals, long-term care facilities as part of Tier 1 phase

Distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine is underway within the state of Nevada, including our local communities in the north. Those who are first up to receive the vaccine include health care personnel and long term care facilities as a part of the first phase of Tier 1 distribution.

The first batch of initial COVID-19 vaccines has reached Carson City, and was received by Carson Tahoe Health Tuesday morning.

The second half of the 400 vaccines slated for CTH’s first round is scheduled to be delivered Wednesday morning, according to Carson Tahoe Health’s Diane Rush.

“Vaccinations will begin tomorrow, Wednesday, Dec. 16 and administered in stages to our most vulnerable and high-risk frontline workers who choose to receive the vaccine,” said Rush. “These stages — and preliminary groups receiving the vaccine first — were determined by the mandatory state guidelines for distribution."

The vials of vaccine were handed off to the Carson Tahoe Health pharmacy early Tuesday morning where they are being stored and properly refrigerated in preparation for tomorrow’s immunization process to begin.

“We anticipate having all employees and medical staff who choose to receive the vaccination fully immunized over the course of the next eight weeks,” said Rush.

The first shipment of COVID-19 vaccines has arrived in Washoe County as well, which was delivered to the Washoe County Health District Building on Tuesday morning.

Over 3,600 vaccines were delivered to WCHD, which will be administered first to health care personnel at Renown Regional Medical Center, Northern Nevada Medical Center, St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center, and Incline Village Community Hospital.

Following health care personnel, long term care facility residents will receive their doses.

The vaccine must be taken in two doses approximately three to four weeks apart.

Originally, officials initially listed long-term care facilities within their third-tier priority, behind retail workers, police, teachers, and airport operators, according to the Associated Press, but changed their directives after recommendations from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices as well as the CDC.

However, the general public most likely will not be able to receive their own vaccinations for months while the governor focuses on health care workers and high-risk individuals.

As of Dec. 1, Tier 1 is listed in order of priority as follows:

1. General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
2. Long Term Care Facility Staff and Residents
3. Psychaitric and Substance Abuse Hospitals
4. Emergency Medical Services Personnel
5. Frontline Public Health Workforce and Volunteers
6. Laboratory Workers
7. Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians
8. Outpatient and Home Health Providers
9. Nevada Department of Corrections (NDOC) Staff
10. Law Enforcement and Public Safety
11. Deployed and mission critical personnel who play essential role in national security
12. State and Local Emergency Operations Managers/Staff.

Those total 173,451 people who will receive the vaccine first in the state of Nevada.

Tier 2 is listed in order of priority as follows:

1. Education and Childcare staff
2. Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) Faculty
3. Essential Public Transportation
4. Agriculture and Food Processing
5. Essential Retail Workers
6. Logistics and Supply Chain
7. Utilities and Communications infrastructure
8. NDOT and Local Emergency Road Personnel
9. Community Support (food banks, DETR, WIC)
10. Airport Operations
11. Depository Credit Institution Workforce
12. Mortuary Services
13. Remaining Public Health Workforce
14. Additional Critical Infrastructure
15. NDOC inmates

These total 270,560 people who will receive the vaccine second in the state of Nevada.

Tier 3 is listed in order of priority as follows:

1. Transitional housing for released offenders
2. Homeless
3. People with underlying health conditions that ARE at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19
4. People with underlying health conditions that MAY BE at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19
5. Elderly Nevadans Age 65+ without Underlying Health Conditions
6. Remainder of NSHE Staff

These total 2,159,141 people who will receive the vaccine third in the state of Nevada.

Tier 4 is the final tier, which contains healthy adults ages 18-64 years, which total an amount of 620,035 who will receive the vaccine last.

The first vaccinations distributed in Nevada were given to approximately 200 health care personnel at the University Medical Center in Las Vegas.

“I am so glad to see the first doses of the Pfizer vaccine arrived in Nevada today,” said Gov. Steve Sisolak in a tweet on Monday. “Our team is ready to begin the distribution process. Hope is on the horizon, but we must remain vigilant. Wear your mask, wash your hands and keep your distance.”

According to Nevada Health Response, the CDC will implement v-safe, a new smartphone-based tool that uses text messaging and web surveys to check in with vaccinated individuals for “adverse events” after a COVID-19 vaccination. Adverse events include whether the individual had to miss work, were unable to complete normal daily activities, or had to set care from a healthcare professional.

Nevada expects to get through Tier 1 by the end of Jan. 2021 and move into Tier 2 sometime between the end of January and the end of February, according to Nevada Health Response.

Within Nevada’s Native American communities, all have chosen to receive their vaccination allocations through the federal government as opposed to the state, and as sovereign communities, will decide how to distribute the vaccinations, including determining which populations it chooses to serve and in what order.