Benicia firefighters receive COVID-19 vaccine
(Photo courtesy Benicia Fire Department, Graphic by Solano News Update)
Firefighters with the Benicia Fire Department are now receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, according to an agency official.
The announcement was made in a social media post on Monday.
“As first responders, our Benicia firefighters have continued to work throughout this pandemic,” an agency spokesperson said. “On a daily basis, [they] are being dispatched to emergency medical and other incidents involving actual and potential COVID exposures.”
The fire agency began distributing the COVID-19 vaccine to its front-line workers more than three weeks after state officials began receiving initial shipments of an FDA-approved vaccine developed by Pfizer. Since then, the FDA has approved another vaccine developed by Moderna, which is expected to increase the number of available doses and will, in turn, lead to more front-line health and emergency workers receiving the vaccine in a more-timely manner.
Though the number of available doses is starting to increase at a national level, Solano County officials say the vaccine is still in short supply locally. The vaccine is still being rolled out in the region to those who have, or are expected to have, direct exposure to individuals who are afflicted with COVID-19 or at high risk of contracting the virus.
“The Benicia Fire Department’s initial allocaiton was for only 15 doses, which covers less than our staff,” an agency spokesperson said. To respond to the shortage, the fire chief prioritized firefighters paramedics for the vaccine based on their seniority with the department while assigning himself last to receive the vaccine when more doses become available.
Firefighters who receive the vaccine are doing so voluntarily, the agency said.
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