Erik Mara, a respiratory therapist at UC Irvine Health, receives a Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine administered by Registered Nurse Pam Samuelson. Vaccinations began for the highest-risk front-line clinicians at the UC Irvine Medical Center on Wednesday.
The COVID-19 vaccine continues to roll out throughout Southern California.
At least three more hospitals began vaccine distribution Wednesday, including UC Irvine Health, Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center and Arrowhead Regional Medical Center.
The question on everyone’s mind now: When can I get it?
The state’s initial allocation — 327,600 doses in all — will go mostly to acute-care hospitals to be administered to healthcare workers, although some counties have said they also will send a portion to skilled nursing facilities.
California is planning on receiving roughly 2.1 million doses by the end of the year, Governor Gavin Newsom said. But the vaccine is not expected to be available to everyone who wants it until at least the spring.
To read more questions and answers about the coronavirus vaccine, read our FAQ.
UC Irvine Health
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Martha Siqueiros, who works in housekeeping at UCI Health, celebrates after receiving a Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.
(Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times)
Katalina Vakalahi, center, a UCI Health emergency department worker, receives a Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine administered by UCI Health Registered Nurse Pam Samuelson.
(Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times)
Jose Mayorga, right, medical doctor UCI Health, gives a thumbs up after receiving a Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.
(Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times)
Arrowhead Regional Medical Center
A red San Bernardino County Fire Department truck carrying Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is escorted by Colton police cars at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center.
(Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times)
Director of Pharmacy Services Cliff Hiroshige, right, receives a box carrying the first batch of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to arrive at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in Colton.
(Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times)
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Dr. Danny Fernandez gets the COVID-19 vaccine administered by Registered Nurse Marcia Williams at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center.
(Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times)
A vial from the first batch of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine delivered to Arrowhead Regional Medical Center.
(Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times)
Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center
Nurse Nicole Chang celebrates after receiving one of the first injections of the COVID-19 vaccine at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center on Wednesday in Westwood.
(Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times)
UCLA emergency-room Dr. Medell Briggs-Malonson gets an injection of the COVID-19 vaccine from nurse Eunice Lee, left, at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center.
(Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times)
Kerry Menmuir, director of inpatient pharmacy at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, stores doses of the COVID-19 vaccine in a medical grade refrigerator.
(Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times)
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Nurse Eunice Lee prepares to give an injection of the COVID-19 vaccine to a healthcare worker at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center.