Dear Friend --

Earlier this morning, we announced our Long Beach City vaccination plan. We've been hard at work on this plan for the past several months and I want to thank our Health Department and the California Department of Public Health.

Our first shipment of vaccines will be arriving before the end of this month and will include 3,900 Pfizer doses, and then in early January, 11,600 Moderna doses will also arrive. Our team has acquired all the necessary refrigeration infrastructure and is ready to go.

The first residents to get the vaccine in group A will include:

• Healthcare workers in hospitals
• Residents and staff at nursing and long term care facilities
• Paramedics and EMT personnel

Second to receive the vaccine will be our healthcare workers in clinics and public health departments. And third to receive the vaccine will be our dental and key pharmacy personnel.

In group B are all essential workers in education and schools, grocers, public safety officers, transit workers and other essential workers.

And group C will include residents over 65 and other residents with critical care needs. All of these populations should be vaccinated in spring 2021.

Vaccinations for the general public, which will occur at our current testing centers, will likely start in late spring. And if the federal government and the state are able to acquire more vaccine doses this timeline could be expedited.

This is exciting news. But to be clear, COVID-19 remains a serious threat and we must continue to stay safe and follow all of the advice that our public health professionals have laid out over the past several months.

Please continue to stay informed on all Long Beach COVID-19 efforts by visiting longbeach.gov/covid19. 

Thank you and stay safe,

Mayor Robert Garcia