The first people besides healthcare workers began to receive the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine in California Monday.
CVS and Walgreens pharmacists and assistants are heading out to long-term care facilities this week to begin vaccinating workers and residents, who are at high risk.
The facilities are a part of Phase 1A of the state’s vaccination plan along with healthcare workers.
“Well it’s a momentous day for us in California. We’re going to be going to 15,000 long-term care facilities in the next 12 weeks and vaccinating 700,000 people,” said Joe Fiesel, CVS Health Regional Director for the Bay Area.
The company has been on a hiring blitz in recent weeks to prepare.
Fiesel says they have plenty of dry ice and equipment to properly store and distribute the vaccines.
The vaccine is free whether you have insurance or not. Private insurers will be billed for both the dose and the cost to administer the shot but patients should not face any charges.
Vaccine distribution is still in the very early stages but Fiesel says it is possible that the general public could start getting access within a few months.
“It’s speculative at this point, but I would think early March you will be able to set up an appointment.”
California is expected to receive about 1.75 million vaccine doses by the end of December.