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NBC Palm Springs has learned Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs received the first Coachella Valley shipment of a coronavirus vaccine Thursday.
DRMC began administering the Pfizer Vaccine to its medical staff at 10:15 Thursday morning.
Respiratory Therapist Sandra Aaronson was the first to receive the vaccine at Desert Regional Medical Center.
In addition to Aaronson, others in attendance at Thursday press conference were DRMC COO Michael Ditoro, Anesthesiologist Dr. Arun Thunga, Nursing Assistant Yuri Sanchez, Chairperson of Infectious Diseases Dr. Shubha Kerkar and Chair of Governing Board and CEO of LifeStream Dr. Rick Axelrod.
Riverside County was expected to receive over 25,000 doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine over the next two weeks, and front line health care workers are the first to receive them, with shots available to the general public likely after the start of the New Year, officials told the Board of Supervisors Tuesday.
“A handful of hospitals will receive vaccines directly, but the majority will come to county Department of Public Health and then be distributed,” the agency’s director, Kim Saruwatari, said. “High-risk employees will be covered first.”
“After the general and acute care hospitals are served, skilled nursing facilities will be next, then first responders — emergency medical technicians and paramedics,” she said.
Riverside University Medical Center in Moreno Valley will receive the largest direct dispensation, 1,900 vaccines, followed by Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs and Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage, each of which is slated to receive 1,140 doses, according to the Riverside University Health System.
This story is developing and will be updated
