Thread by @BenWinslow

HAPPENING NOW: @UtahDepOfHealth briefing reporters about #COVID19 vaccine rollout plans.

Some background from a briefing lawmakers got last month (that I sat in on): fox13now.com/news/coronavir… @fox13 #utpol #Utah

Rich Lakin, who heads @UtahDepOfHealth's immunization program, begins by saying Utah does NOT know when it will receive the #COVID19 vaccine.

Local health departments will begin administrating starting with hospitals/health care workers. @fox13 #utpol #Utah #COVID19

Long-term care facilities, assisted living, skilled nursing facilities, other health care providers will also do it.

Facilities without capacity to administer? Local health departments, community nursing services, pharmacies that can be mobile. @fox13 #utpol #Utah #COVID19

.@UtahDepOfHealth thinks they're going to be getting more vaccine than originally expected (now maybe January).

LDS, University, Intermountain, Utah Valley and Dixie Regional hospitals will be in Wave 1 of vaccine. @fox13 #utpol #Utah #COVID19

.@UtahDepOfHealth is working to onboard as many as 30 hospitals to administer #COVID19 vaccine.

Priority? ED, urgent care, COVID ward, ICU workers, healthcare workers with pre-existing conditions and housekeeping staff. @fox13 #utpol #Utah

December is the best-case scenario for "Wave 1" of #COVID19 vaccination plans, Lakin says.

The 5 hospitals I tweeted earlier are "for sure" getting the vaccine first. @fox13 #utpol #Utah

Wave 2 is where long-term care/assisted living and other healthcare personnel get the vaccine.

@UtahDepOfHealth is working with @Walgreens to vaccinate long-term care staff and EMS/first responders (again in Wave 2). @fox13 #utpol #Utah

"It's difficult to plan when we don't know how much of the vaccine we're getting," Lakin says.

By Feb/March, Utah will start vaccinating long-term care RESIDENTS. That's @UtahDepOfHealth's plan so far. @fox13 #utpol #Utah #COVID19

In Feb/March, start seeing other "high risk occupations" being vaccinated based on risk-level.

Office-types that can work from home are lowest, teachers are a higher risk (can't work from home), health care workers are highest risk level. @fox13 #utpol #Utah #COVID19

March-July (Phase 2, Waves 1, 2, 3) are tribal entities, 65+ year-olds, workers based on risk level, racial/ethnic groups, food prep workers, other risk levels based on vaccine availability, Lakin says.

Eventually, ALL UTAHNS. @fox13 #utpol #Utah #COVID19

...aaaaand someone just unmuted themselves on the call. We get to hear "how are ya dude???"

MUTE. YOURSELF. ON. ZOOM. CALLS.

@fox13 #utpol #Utah

What is also tricky? The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines require two doses. They've got to time it.

Phase 3 is now July.

That means PUBLIC gets it.

This is a later timeline than @UtahDepOfHealth told the #utleg last month (but it's a moving target). @fox13 #utpol #Utah #COVID19

Lakin acknowledges they keep changing the timeline as Pfizer and Moderna make it available for larger distribution.

Pfizer expected to be early December, Moderna mid-December.

Both have high efficacy, "which is great." @fox13 #utpol #Utah #COVID19

I ask the timeline of when all Utahns can get the vaccine?

Lakin hopes for "May/June" but he's saying July to be safe.

Is this a one-shot or annual like a flu shot?

They don't have that data to know for sure. @fox13 #utpol #Utah #COVID19

In other words, @UtahDepOfHealth says it's going to BE A WHILE BEFORE WE ALL HAVE THE VACCINE.

You need to temper your expectations, Utah.

@fox13 #utpol #Utah

What do you say to people who want it now?

Lakin says "this is a marathon, not a sprint." Vaccine doesn't mean #COVID19 goes away.

Social distancing, masks, etc., will still apply. But by July you MIGHT see a reduction in disease burden. @fox13 #utpol #Utah

Utah is hoping for the 5 hospitals to get the vaccine soon, but cold storage remains an issue.

The remaining hospitals?

"We have not given them a timeline," Lakin says.

@fox13 #utpol #Utah #COVID19

Vaccine applies to 18+. Lakin says they do not know if it will be applied to children. Clinical studies have not been done on children, yet.

Someone asks if they can "cut in line?" @UtahDepOfHealth says NO.

@fox13 #utpol #Utah #COVID19

.@UtahDepOfHealth has prioritized this to ensure higher risk populations get the #COVID19 vaccine first.

Lakin says he has assigned himself a lowest priority because he can work from home. @fox13 #utpol #Utah

FYI, a great ? just asked was whether the two companies' vaccines were interchangeable?

NO. You get Pfizer? You stick with Pfizer. You get Moderna? You stick with Moderna. @fox13 #utpol #Utah #COVID19

Moderna might be flagged for rural areas because it doesn't need the extreme cold storage as Pfizer vaccine.

@UtahDepOfHealth is anticipating BOTH will be approved. @fox13 #utpol #Utah #COVID19

.@UtahDepOfHealth saying they hope for a 70% adoption rate of the #COVID19 vaccine.

(That's higher than we get for the flu vaccine.)

How much is this going to cost? @UtahDepOfHealth doesn't know. @fox13 #utpol #Utah

@UtahDepOfHealth @fox13 What are at right now with flu vaccine adoption rate? Typically, it's about 40%.

Lakin says it is higher this year, but he doesn't have the specific data (it's still being collected). @fox13 #utpol #Utah #COVID19

Is Utah in line for vaccine? We get it based on population (about 1%).

Some states might get it earlier, Lakin says.

Does plan account for 2 vaccine doses? Yes.

But this is also based on availability.

@fox13 #utpol #Utah #COVID19

Q about black market sales?

"I haven't worried about that at all," Lakin says.

Projection on when we can remove masks and not social distance?

@UtahDepOfHealth can't project that because they don't know how many will be vaccinated and how virus will be circulating. @fox13

In other words, you're going to have to be patient, Utah.

It's going to be a while before we can take off the masks and give copious amounts of hugs.

@fox13 #utpol #Utah #COVID19

How is @UtahDepOfHealth going to ensure that people don't lie and say they're higher risk?

It will be an honor system, Lakin concedes. But administrators may be able to screen for higher risk populations. @fox13 #utpol #Utah #COVID19

How will people be contacted when they're up or do they need to seek it out?

@UtahDepOfHealth will communicate with providers to get in touch with people.

Lakin says when you get the vaccine, you get a card with a return date for the second shot. @fox13 #utpol #Utah #COVID19

Briefing now OVER.

@UtahDepOfHealth says it's a monumental planning effort and a very fluid situation.

Plans could change AGAIN.

@fox13 #utpol #Utah #COVID19

Oh wait! A special guest appearance by Governor-elect @SpencerJCox.

Except he's now cut off by an UNMUTED person on the video call! @fox13 #utpol #Utah #COVID19

.@SpencerJCox says he's excited and can't wait to see the vaccine distributed.

He pivots to speaking in Spanish for those in the audience who need it. @fox13 #utpol #Utah #COVID19