Syringes with the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine will be in a tray in a vaccination room at St. Joseph Hospital in Orange, California, Thursday, January 7, 2021. (AP Photo / Jae C. Hong)
PHOENIX – Metro Phoenix will enter the early stages of Phase 1B COVID-19 vaccine distribution next week.
Because the supply of doses is limited, health officials follow priority plans designed to ensure efficient and fair distribution.
Maricopa County began firing Phase 1A populations on December 16. On Friday morning, the province reported that it had administered 68,892 doses.
So far, vaccines developed by Pfizer / BioNTech and Moderna have received federal approval for emergency use. They both require two shots several weeks apart for full effectiveness.
Phase 1A priority for the Phoenix region was set to complete on Sunday. That group includes primary health care workers, medical workers and staff and residents of long-term care facilities.
Four counties in Arizona – Gila, Pinal, Apache and Mohave – are already in Phase 1B. Yuma County said it is moving to 1B on Monday, with Pima County aiming for the end of next week.
Here’s what we know about Maricopa County’s transition to Phase 1B:
- Appointments are required and the number of places is limited. The 1B online planning system will be activated on Monday at 6am. Information on how to register will be posted here at that point, the county said.
- Phase 1B consists of two levels. Only priority level groups – K-12 school and daycare workers, law enforcement and protective services personnel, and adults 75 and older – are eligible to enroll on Monday.
- Initially, Phase 1B shots will only be given at the county’s five established distribution points plus a new 24-hour venue at the State Farm Stadium in Glendale. Reservations are limited to time slots that have not yet been booked for people in phase 1A making their second withdrawals.
- People in 1A are still allowed to register during Phase 1B, but no longer have priority over other eligible populations.
- Ultimately, the province expects to add more options for eligible groups to receive injections, including pharmacies and employer-based vaccination events.
- There is no timetable for when the rest of Stage 1B – adults living in a municipal environment and workers identified as essential – or later stages are eligible for vaccinations.