Cody Regional Health received its first shipment of the Pfizer COVID vaccine on Tuesday morning. The shipment included 975 doses to be distributed between Cody Regional Health, Powell Valley Healthcare and Park County Public Health. They’ll be administered starting Thursday.

“Vaccines will be given in a phased approach and we will start with healthcare frontline staff,” said Park County Public Health Director Bill Crampton.

Cody Regional Health (CRH) said it has created an internal prioritization list for all employees.

“If our staff do not want the vaccine we will move onto the next person,” said CRH Employee Health Coordinator Laura Farnworth.

Pfizer’s immunization for the novel coronavirus requires two doses, with the second dose coming within 21 days. It also must be stored at very low temperatures, which has presented challenges for storage and distribution. At CRH, the vaccine doses were stored in an “ultra-low freezer” — at minus 71 degree Celsius — after they arrived at the facility.

The Cody healthcare organization said staffers who are vaccinated “will be asked to continue wearing masks and eye protection because there is still a 5% chance they could contract the virus after receiving the vaccine.”

As of Tuesday, the Wyoming Department of Health reported a total of 140 active confirmed and probable COVID-19 infections in Park County; that was the lowest number the state has reported in two months.

However, the rolling 14-day average of new cases has been ticking upward and 13 people remained hospitalized with COVID-19 in Park County as of Tuesday. There were eight patients at Cody Regional Health and five at Powell Valley Healthcare. While that’s down from a peak of 15 Park County patients last week, it’s still high for the pandemic.

According to a national vaccine plan, the first phase of limit doses will be targeted to those at highest risk and highest risk of exposure: first responders and healthcare workers who care for those with critical needs.

As more doses become available in Phase 2, supply is likely to meet demand and educational efforts will “target critical populations who were not vaccinated in Phase 1.”

In Phase 3, there is likely to be a sufficient supply and all unvaccinated groups will be targeted. “Special attention will be directed to populations or communities with low vaccine coverage,” the plan says.