North Olympic Peninsula health officials expect the first batch of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine doses to arrive early this week after it was approved by the federal government Friday.
Gov. Jay Inslee said Sunday the vaccine should arrive in the state Monday and that vaccinations could begin as soon as Tuesday.
One batch of 975 doses is expected to arrive in Clallam County and a batch of the same number of doses is expected in Jefferson County. Frontline health care workers, first responders and staff and patients in long-term care facilities are first in line for the vaccine.
Meanwhile, Sunday concluded a quiet weekend for new COVID-19 positives on the Peninsula, with three new cases reported late Saturday and Sunday.
Clallam County reported one new positive Sunday and Jefferson County reported two positives late Saturday and none Sunday.
That gives Clallam County 621 cases since March, with 87 active.
The infection rate is 180 per 100,000 population during the past two weeks, down from more than 200 per 100,000 in late November, but still in the state’s high-risk category.
Jefferson County has had 193 positives since March with 16 active cases.
Its infection rate is listed at 110 per 100,000 during the past weeks, down from more than 150 in November, but still in the high-risk category.
“We’re pleased that the increments of new cases have been fairly low,” said Jefferson County Health Officer Dr. Tom Locke.
State Department of Health officials reported about 62,000 doses of Pfizer’s vaccine are expected initially.
Inslee said the 17-member Western states review group, which approved the Pfizer vaccine on Sunday, was set up because of concerns that politics could intrude on the vaccination review process.
But Inslee said the panel found that was not the case with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“I have not been shy about criticizing the federal government over the last several years,” Inslee said. “The FDA, the CDC, did their jobs.”
Locke said Jefferson officials spent three hours Friday planning the distribution of the vaccine locally. He expects this week’s shipment to come to Jefferson Healthcare and said the first vaccinations in the county could begin by Thursday.
The vaccine will be the main topic of Locke’s COVID-19 presentation to the Board of Jefferson County Commissioners today.
“The vaccine is at the top of the list,” he said.
Locke also will discuss holiday travel recommendations for the Christmas season.
The peninsula saw some cases from Thanksgiving travel but did not see a surge in new cases similar to other parts of the country.
________
Sports Editor Pierre LaBossiere can be reached by email at plabossiere@peninsuladailynews.com.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
