Sutter Coast Hospital nurse Melissa George administers the COVID-19 vaccine to her colleague, Jan Pearce. Photo courtesy of Sutter Health

Sutter Coast Hospital staff received their first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine this week.

Del Norte Public Health Branch employees brought the first doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine into the county on Monday. On Tuesday, Sutter Coast Hospital received the first vials of the Moderna vaccine, according to Sutter Health spokeswoman Emma Dugas.

Sutter Coast Hospital needs 467 doses of the vaccine, CEO Mitch Hanna told the Crescent City Council on Monday. Each vaccine consists of two doses. Hanna said he expects hospital staff to receive vaccinations over the next month or two.

However, vaccine deployment is fluid with supply driving how many people can receive their innoculations, Dugas told the Wild Rivers Outpost on Wednesday. 

"We have drawn on the strength of our integrated network to prepare for uncertainties, requested as much vaccine as we could and have begun vaccinating our frontline healthcare workers to protect them as they serve our communities," Dugas said in a written statement. "As more of the vaccines made by Pfizer and Moderna become available through allocation from the state, vaccination will be offered to more of our healthcare workers."

Though Sutter staff with direct interaction with patients are among the first to receive the COVID-19 shots, the exact number during the first round is uncertain, according to Sutter Health Vice President of Pharmacy Ryan Stice.

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