STORY AND PHOTO BY KAREN BOSSICK

The clock begins to tick on the rollout of a COVID vaccine today as The Centers for Disease Control’s Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices sits down to figure out who should get vaccinated first.

But what does that mean for the Wood River Valley? When can we expect it? Who will get it first? And how soon after receiving the vaccine can the folks in senior living apartments have a Happy Vaccine Party among themselves?

Right now, all of Idaho’s health districts are slated to get the vaccine at the same time. Just when that is depends on federal partners and how much vaccine is available, said Brianna Bodily, public information officer for South Central Public Health District.

Vaccines will be distributed to the states based on the size of their adult population, rather than how many COVID cases they have.

Idaho will likely get about 52,000 doses initially, according to Sarah Leeds, program manager for the Idaho Immunization Program. Each vaccination requires two doses so that means 26,000 Idahoans will be vaccinated initially.

The Idaho Coronavirus Financial Advisory Committee has approved spending $300,000 to train healthcare providers to administer the vaccines.

Once federal partners provide the vaccine, the Idaho COVID-19 Vaccine Advisory Committee will decide who to immunize after considering the guidance from the CDC. But there are still some steps in that process that are unclear.

“We are making tentative plans here at the health district, but the reality is that circumstances are changing so quickly our plans need constant adjustment,” said Bodily.

The SCPHD received only 10 doses of vaccine for the entire district in its first shipment during the H1N1 pandemic, which was this country’s last pandemic.

“We don’t expect such scant numbers this time because our federal partners have asked these companies to produce the vaccine ahead of time just in case theirs was approved. That speeds up the process significantly. But the reality is that the situation may continue to change up until we have the vaccine in hand,” Bodily said.

Right now there are several phases in the Idaho vaccine plan, which can be accessed at https://coronavirus.idaho.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Idaho_COVID-19-Interim-Vaccination-Plan-V2-10-19-2020.pdf.

Currently topping the list, although not set in stone, are those in hospitals and other organizations that can distribute the vaccine.

“They are the first to be vaccinated because we need them healthy to continue to distribute vaccine and health care to other people. This is pretty standard procedure in a pandemic or any other event that requires mass vaccination,” said Bodily.

The following phases will include more front-line personnel, including EMS and other health care entities, such as pharmacies, clinics, dentists, public health officials and high-risk groups, such as those in long-term care facilities.

“Things are still changing rapidly and the tier system is still being worked out,” Bodily said.

Whether St. Luke’s Wood River would be the entity administering the vaccine here is still among the things being worked out. St. Luke’s planning committee is surveying its staff to see how many are interested in receiving vaccines as soon as they become available.

“When St. Luke’s staff are immunized and we have vaccine for the general public, they may be able to take on that role. But it will be heavily dependent on the impact to their hospital,” said Bodily. “There have been discussions about pharmacies offering the vaccine to the general public, as well as other federally licensed groups.

“Much of this will depend on which vaccine is approved, what is needed to keep that vaccine viable and what the capabilities are for each facility that is interested in helping with the vaccination effort. For example, the Pfizer vaccine requires deep freeze storage that some facilities are unable to offer.”

The FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee, made up of independent experts, will meet on Dec. 10 to go over the details of Pfizer’s clinical trial data to determine whether the vaccine is safe and effective enough to warrant emergency usage.

If it approves emergency usage for the vaccine, which boasts 94 percent efficacy, the FDA could authorize the vaccine as early as Dec. 11. But experts say it’s more likely that will happen the week of Dec. 14.

Vaccine distribution could begin within 24 hours of that authorization and, in fact, United Airlines has already been flying batches from Europe to North America.

Pfizer expects to have 10 million to 20 million doses by Dec. 10. And Idaho has purchased seven ultra-cold freezers since Pfizer’s vaccine needs to be kept at minus 97 degrees Fahrenheit.

Moderna asked the FDA to greenlight its vaccine on Monday. The FDA is expected to consider the efficacy of its vaccine on Dec. 17—a week after Pfizer’s. Moderna says its vaccine is 100 percent effective at preventing severe cases of COVID and 94 percent effective at preventing less severe cases.

Its vaccine needs only to be kept at minus 4-degrees Fahrenheit, similar to what vaccines like chickenpox are kept at.

While it’s pretty much a given that health care personnel will get the vaccine first, essential workers such as police officers, firefighters, transportation workers, grocery store employees, child care workers and teachers could be next in line. Then, adults over 65, including residents of long-term care facilities and those with high-risk medical conditions.

The general population can expect access to the vaccine by the end of April or the beginning of May, according to Dr. Anthony Fauci.

The Washington Post reported Monday that one population that might be prioritized is obese Americans since obesity is a major risk factor for severe COVID. Great Britain is prioritizing those with a body mass index over 40, as well as those with asthma, kidney disease and weakened immune systems.

About 28 percent of Brits are considered obese, while 42 percent of Americans meet the criteria.

In addition to Pfizer’s and Moderna’s vaccines, AstraZeneca says that its vaccine is 90 percent effective based on trials in the United Kingdom and Brazil. The vaccine, developed by Oxford University had no severe cases of COVID-19 reported in those receiving the vaccine.

Because the vaccine can be stored at refrigerator temperature of 36 to 46 degrees Fahrenheit, it is a good candidate for use in countries that would have trouble providing cold storage for Pfizer’s.

What’s more, it appears that a half-dose of AstraZeneca’s vaccine is better than a full dose, meaning more people can be vaccinated. A half-dose showed 90 percent efficacy, according to early data; two full doses, 62 percent efficacy.

It also costs $2.50 a dose compared with $20 for Pfizer’s and the $15 to $25 per dose price Moderna struck with the United States. AstraZeneca will seek emergency use authorization from the World Health Organization for its vaccine, which uses a weakened version of the common cold virus combined with genetic material for the spike protein that causes COVID-19.

Medical experts say there’s no reason to pass up one vaccine while waiting for another to come on the market. Get the first one offered, they say.

And don't expect the promised COVID vaccine to be pain free. It’s guaranteed to make your arm sore, it can make you feel crummy for 24 hours and the second dose will be even worse, Dr. William Schaffner, professor of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University, told USA Today. But that’s good, said Dr. Eric Toner, with the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. It means the vaccine is working.

Currently, only 38 percent of Idahoans say they would get a vaccine as soon as one is available. Fifty-two percent said they would get it later.

Nationally, 58 percent now say they would get a vaccination, according to a Pew Research Center Poll.   Fourteen percent said they would not get it under any circumstance.

The vaccine has no chance of becoming effective in a community if 30 percent to 50 percent of the population resists getting vaccinated, Fauci says.

“It would actually be a tragedy,’ he said.

Vaccinations are supposed to be free since the federal government is picking up the tab for the vaccines’ distribution. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is also working to make sure everyone has access. That said, some providers may charge a fee to administer the shot. Insurance plans should cover that. If not, those getting a vaccine are supposed to be reimbursed through the CARES Act Provider Relief Fund.