Pico Rivera Finalizes Selection of Site for Local Distribution of COVID Vaccine

City currently executing an MOU with L.A. County Department of Health (LADPH) to establish a medical point of dispensing for the local distribution of the COVID-19 vaccinations by Pfizer and Moderna and other preventative medications.

PICO RIVERA, CA – DECEMBER 11, 2020 – In preparation for the disbursement of the approved COVID-19 vaccines, the City of Pico Rivera has signed off on a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) which requires the City to provide personnel and minimal equipment for establishing the Medical Point of Dispensing (MPOD). Existing budgeted City personnel would be reassigned to assist in this effort which will be no direct impact to the General Fund.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the City has been working with LADPH for the past few months to establish a MPOD Dispensing Plan, provide City staff training and determine the best location for the dispensing of the COVID-19 vaccine. The City is finalizing the selection of the site for dispensing the vaccine.

“The city council made it clear they wanted the city to prepare to play a major role in the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine for local residents,” said city manager Steve Carmona. “We are ready to move forward as soon as soon as the County gives us the green light.  Our goal is the ensure that every local resident receive the vaccine in a timely basis to provide for the health and safety of families and help get our economy back to thriving again.”

The County of Los Angeles Department of Public Health (DPH) has been collaborating with several cities within the County to establish an MPOD in each respective City for the mass distribution of preventive medications during emergency conditions from contagious, infectious, or communicable disease, chemical agents, biologic agents or radioactive agents which threaten the health of the general public.

The City would also be responsible for maintaining all records necessary to request federal reimbursement for eligible costs from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), federal, State, or local government funds or other source of recovery.

Although the site has been selected, it has not been determined when the MPOD would be activated in the City as the COVID- 19 vaccinations by Pfizer and Moderna are expected to be under review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration this week. The Pfizer vaccine has already received approval by the Food and Drug Administration advisory panel. Current estimates project that no more than 20 million doses of each vaccine will be available by the end of 2020. California officials are currently finalizing plans on who should be first in line to receive the vaccination, but it is anticipated that health care workers and nursing home residents would be first.

The MOU requires City staff to review the MPOD Dispensing Plan annually, have staff participate in training or exercises and have staff work with DPH to determine people within the City who may require special assistance during the public health emergency.

A designated City staff person has been assigned to work directly with the County to provide the following:

*    Securing and providing access to pre-identified Public MPOD site(s)

*    Opening time of the Public MPOD to public

*    Duration of the Public MPOD operations

*    Location and delivery of medications, if different from those identified in the DPH- City of Pico Rivera MPOD Dispensing Plan

*    The name and contact information for person(s) responsible for overall operations of the Public MPOD (i.e., name, title, phone number, email address), if different from those identified in the DPH-City of Pico Rivera MPOD Dispensing Plan

*    Communication of regular situational status reports

*    Deployment of personnel to operate the Public MPOD site under unified command between DPH, City of Pico Rivera, and Law Enforcement

LADPH will provide the following when the City activates the MPOD at their request:

*    Coordinate and provide preventive MCM medications and instructions for their use

*    Provide procedures and protocols for the mass dispensing of MCM medications

*    Deliver preventive MCM medications to Public MPOD(s)

*    Deploy DPH and other County personnel to operate Public MPOD site under unified command as outlined in DPH-City of Pico Rivera MPOD Dispensing Plan

*    Mass dispense preventive medications to the general population

*    Provide appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) to all personnel deployed to operate Public MPOD under unified command

The execution of the MPOD site will entail the partial activation of the Emergency Operation Center including personnel from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Parks and Recreation, Public Works, Finance and Community and Economic Development Departments. Pico Rivera staff is currently scheduling meetings with respective department heads and designated staff to review the MPOD Dispensing Plan and conduct trainings as necessary.