Pamela Cruz. Peninsula 360 Press [P360P].
Bay Area health officials see hope in the fight against one of the deadliest viruses in modern history as nurses, doctors and other health care workers caring for patients with COVID-19 receive the first batches of a rigorously tested vaccine.
"We now have a critical tool to help fight this pandemic," officials said in a statement issued Tuesday by the San Mateo County Emergency Operations Center (EOC).
Such vaccinations, they said, in acute-care hospital settings follow a locally adopted federal and state framework that will soon also protect those in skilled nursing facilities, such as older adults, who are more likely to acquire the virus.
The document also notes that the 12 county health officials in Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Monterey, Napa, San Benito, San Francisco, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Sonoma and the city of Berkeley support the state's vaccine distribution guidelines, which currently prioritize health care workers in acute care settings.
For his part, San Mateo County Health Officer Dr. Scott Morrow reminded that the vaccines are still months away from reaching the general public, which is why he called to avoid social gatherings, as it is the most common source of infections at home. "The virus is transmissible without and before any symptoms. Please do not hold gatherings outside nearby homes, wear a mask and, if you know or think you have been exposed to the virus, isolate yourself immediately, even if you have no symptoms," he urged.
