Louisville's public health expert in charge of mass vaccination planning said the appearance of COVID-19 vaccines and their distribution will show a new challenge in the city. The very first from the vaccines should arrive in Kentucky this month.
Louisville hasn't experienced this kind of public health crisis before, according to Paul Kern. Kern compared the pandemic to the outbreak of H1N1 flu in 2009, that they said was a smaller challenge for public health.
“Just the variety of the vaccine distribution, the variety of the vaccines and all sorts of different types of requirements that each one of these has. But we have been utilizing a lot of the principles…a lot of our planning previously for some other events,” Kern said at a briefing .
The first allocation of the vaccine goes to area hospitals, as well as CVS and Walgreens for everyone long-term care facilities.
The Fda said Tuesday that Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine is protected and effective.
Public health officials are encouraged by these reports.
The COVID-19 vaccines could provide some immunity after an initial dose, though both Pfizer and Moderna's require a second booster shot, according to Dr. Sarah Hartlage with Louisville's public health department.
Hartlage encouraged Louisville residents to get both doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.
“There is some emerging data the first shot does give some initial immunity, but the second shot is likely responsible for the long run, longer lasting immunity,” Hartlage said.
On Monday, Gov. Andy Beshear said the us government is placed to deliver about 150,000 coronavirus vaccines to Kentucky from mid- to late December.
