Vaccine arrives at MVH
By KRISTIE LINDEN
klinden@yourmvi.com
Monday brought 1,126 new cases of coronavirus and 11 deaths in the four counties that make up the Mon Valley, but it also brought the first shipment of the COVID-19 vaccine to Monongahela Valley Hospital.
The state received a little less than 100,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine for distribution this week.
MVH was among the first health systems in Western Pennsylvania to get the vaccine.
“In order to receive the vaccine in the first shipment, we met all of the qualifications mandated by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,” explained Margaret Brown, director of pharmacy at MVH. “We have the ability to maintain the vaccine at the temperatures required and the capabilities to vaccinate the number of people stipulated within the designated time frame.”
Mon Valley Hospital and UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh were the only two hospitals to receive the vaccine yesterday. Another 85 hospitals across the state will receive the vaccines by next Monday.
“This is a pivotal development in the fight against COVID-19, in Pennsylvania and the nation,” state Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said. “This limited supply of vaccine signals the start of the process to end COVID-19’s devastating impacts on every community in the commonwealth.
“However, it is important to remember that we are still months away from being able to vaccinate all Pennsylvanians, making mitigation efforts more important than ever to save lives.”
It will likely be months before doses are widely available for everyone at U.S. drugstores and doctors’ offices.
Details are still being worked out, but officials expect widespread availability by the middle of next year. A second coronavirus vaccine is being reviewed this week by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and others are in development.
The limited doses of Pfizer’s vaccine are going to the most vulnerable first — health care workers and nursing home residents. That means the shipments are being sent to sites selected in advance by state officials. Hospitals are doling out the shots to their employees. For nursing homes, the government is partnering with CVS and Walgreens, which will be giving the shots in the homes.
“We are thrilled that Monongahela Valley Hospital is at the forefront of helping to put a stop to the spread of this virus,” said Louis J. Panza Jr., the hospital’s president and CEO. “Since the pandemic began, we have been vigilant to provide our staff with the proper personal protective equipment and to maintain a clean and safe environment. Having the ability to immunize our staff and physicians is another key action in keeping our community safe.”
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