COVID vaccine’s arrival at Flaget Tuesday called ‘the best Christmas present ever’
By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette / WBRT Radio
Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2020 — Local media were on hand Tuesday to witness what could only be called “a Christmas miracle” — the arrival of the first COVID-19 vaccines at Flaget Memorial Hospital and the launch of vaccinations for the hospital staff.
A shipment of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine showed up early Tuesday morning on the Flaget Memorial Hospital loading dock, according to Jennifer Nolan, the hospital’s president.
The hospital was expecting a shipment of the vaccine to arrive, and Tuesday’s shipment arrived with little advance warning. The best news however was that the shipment included enough vaccine to offer it to all 500 of the hospital’s employees and contract employees, Nolan said.
Expecting the vaccine to arrive sooner than later, the hospital management had already been making plans for offering the vaccine to those employees most at-risk those who are in close contact with COVID-19 patients.
Nolan said she and the hospital staff were excited to have the vaccine arrive.
The first person vaccinated was Dr. James Nuss, who was recently honored as the hospital’s Physician of the Year.
The second person who received the vaccination was Sheila Downs, a longtime employee who was honored as the hospital’s employee of the year. Sheila works in environmental controls, and she has to keep all of the hospital facilities clean and COVID-free.
Moderna supplied enough vaccine to provide hospital employees with both the initial vaccination as well as the “booster” vaccination, which is required within 28 days.
Dr. Will Monarch said the Moderna vaccine was considered 50 percent effective with the initial injection; to reach 95 percent effective requires the second vaccination.
Everyone who is vaccinated will receive a vaccine card as proof they have received the vaccination.
Dr. Monarch said the Moderna vaccine offered some advantages over the Pfizer vaccine due to the fact its storage requirements did not require the extreme refrigeration that the Pfizer vaccine does.
After receiving the vaccination, employees were asked to remain seated nearby 15 minutes for observation of any possible side effects — a standard practice for the existing COVID vaccines.
“I think Dr. Monarch said it best — ‘This is the best Christmas present every’,” Nolan said. “It really gives our staff hope, and the world hope, and we’re just grateful to have received this vaccine today.”
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