Arizona says it will allow Pima County to set up vaccine sites with FEMA

PHOENIX — Arizona’s top public health official said Friday the state would allow Pima County to work with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to set up COVID-19 vaccine sites, a reversal of its stance from earlier this week.

Dr. Cara Christ, director of the Arizona Department of Public Health, said the state sent FEMA a letter stating the agency could partner with the southern Arizona county as long as a new site doesn’t affect the state’s resources or operations.

Christ and Gov. Doug Ducey had previously said the state would rather have more vaccine for its own distribution operations than new federal sites.

Pima County officials told KTAR News 92.3 FM they were unaware of the state’s approval. Christ said Arizona sent FEMA the letter at about 12:45 p.m. on Friday.

“We know that they were very interested in having those sites down in Pima and if they can do that and it’s not going on impact the state’s resources or vaccine supply, we’re happy to let them do that,” Christ said.

The Pima County Board of Supervisors on Wednesday voted unanimously to approve a resolution asking Ducey to allow permission to set up the FEMA sites, which would be located at the Kino Sports Complex Event Center and El Pueblo Center.

“On behalf of the Board of Supervisors, I thank Gov. Ducey for his thoughtful reconsideration and allowing FEMA to vaccinate more than 210,000 county residents,” Pima County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry said in a statement. “The County Health Department will resume its planning with FEMA to begin administering these vaccines to county residents as soon as possible.”

FEMA approached county leaders earlier this month with the promise of administering up to 6,000 doses a day starting March 31.

The county wants to prioritize distribution to ZIP codes with low vaccination rates.

“We know that Pima County has been working in some of those areas all along and we are looking to work with our contractors to provide some of that high-intensity, targeted communication in the south Tucson area as well,” Christ said.

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