Acute care staff and those individuals that have higher chance of contacting a person with COVID-19 have begun to get the first wave of The first round of COVID-19 vaccines. At Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital, six emergency department staff were the first to receive the vaccine at the hospital Tuesday evening. Hospital Chief Operating Officer and Chief Nursing Officer, Lori Katterhagen, says temperature control is the biggest concern when it comes to moving the vaccine.

The two facilities work hand in hand to arrange the transfer.

There is a short shelf-life for the vaccine once it begins to thaw. There is a five day window to use the vaccine before it expires.

Additional vaccinations were given on Wednesday, but the holiday weekend is a concern.

Sierra Nevada has been allotted 450 doses from the original 975 that was shipped to Truckee. Hattergarten says an additional request for more doses has been made, but timing is key because of the 48 hour restriction.

Nevada County Public Health is developing the list of who gets vaccines in what order once the hospital acute care staff are fully vaccinated.