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Nearly 2,000 COVID-19 vaccines expected to be available in North Idaho

Hoyer said Friday the first shipment of the vaccine is expected to arrive next week.
Credit: Pfizer
Doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine being manufactured.

Idaho is set to receive 13,650 doses of the coronavirus vaccines, according to the Panhandle Health District.

In a press release from PHD Public Information Officer Katherine Hoyer, 1,950 doses of the vaccine will be available in North Idaho. Hoyer said Friday the first shipment of the vaccine is expected to arrive next week.

The Idaho COVID-19 Vaccine Advisory Committee (CVAC) recommends frontline healthcare workers caring for COVID patients and long-term care facility residents be the first to receive the vaccine, Hoyer said.  Those in direct contact with COVID-19 patients will be high priority for the vaccine.

Hoyer said additional shipments of the vaccine could be delivered this month. The state expects to receive in 89,150 total vaccines in the second and third shipments.

According to Hoyer, the first shipments of the vaccine in North Idaho’s five counties will be sent directly to hospitals with other doses being distributed to frontline workers. After those facilities have been offered the vaccine, it will be offered to additional groups from CVAC recommendations and considering available local resources.

Once the vaccine is being received in larger supply, Hoyer said shipments will begin to be delivered to healthcare providers and pharmacies who have completed the necessary paperwork with the state. She said the vaccine is recommended for anyone 16 years old and over, including those who have recovered from COVID-19.

According to Hoyer, both the Pfizer and the Moderna vaccines require two doses, the Pfizer second dose is at day 21 and the Moderna second dose is at day 28.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, the vaccine will be available to all Americans at no cost and were purchased with taxpayer funds.

Hoyer said vaccination providers will be able to charge an administration fee for giving the shot to someone.

Based on the data available, Hoyer said post-vaccination symptoms, such as fever, headache and body aches are common. She said the side effects are more common after the second dose.

Hoyer said the side effects are a sign the body’s immune system is responding and building protection. She said it takes around two weeks for an individual to build immunity after receiving a vaccine.

The CDC and FDA encourage the public and healthcare providers to report other possible side effects to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System.

Hoyer said the CDC is also implementing a new smartphone-based tool called ‘v-safe’ to check-in on people’s health after they receive the COVID-19 vaccine. When you receive your vaccine, Hoyer said you should also receive a v-safe information sheet telling you how to enroll in v-safe. If you enroll, you will get regular text messages directing you to surveys where you can report any problems or adverse reactions you have after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine.

A U.S. government advisory panel has recommended the Food and Drug Administration grant emergency use authorization for Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine in the United States. And, formal authorization could come as early as Friday.

The New York Times reports the FDA is speeding to finish paperwork to grant emergency use authorization -- which may come Friday evening. That's ahead of the prior estimate, which was Saturday.

The government advisory panel met virtually on Thursday to scrutinize Pfizer’s data on the vaccine for any red flags. The FDA is not technically required to follow the panel's recommendation, but the agency has indicated it will.

FDA Commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn and Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research Dr. Peter Marks on Friday issued a statement claiming the FDA is working toward "finalization and issuance of an emergency use authorization."

In an interview with Good Morning America Friday, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar said the official approval of the Pfizer vaccine was imminent.

In a 17-4 vote with one abstention, the government advisers on Thursday concluded that the vaccine from Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech appears safe and effective for emergency use in adults and teenagers 16 and older.

The panel functioned like a science court, which picked apart the data and debated whether the vaccine is safe and effective enough to be cleared for emergency use in the U.S. Hanging over the meeting was a warning from UK leaders that people with a history of serious allergic reactions shouldn’t get the vaccine. Authorities there are investigating two reports of reactions that occurred when the country began mass vaccinations.

However, FDA scientists issued an overwhelmingly positive initial review of the vaccine earlier this week. The agency said Pfizer’s large, ongoing study showed the shot was more than 90 percent effective across people of different ages, races and underlying health conditions.

When the FDA formally signs off on the panel's recommendation Friday, the U.S. will be the latest country to approve Pfizer’s vaccine, after the UK and Canada.

10 Tampa Bay and the Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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