BMH staffers receive COVID-19 vaccine
Dr. Kathy Selvaggi, chief community health officer at Butler Memorial Hospital, was looking forward to Friday to be among the first people to spearhead the medicinal attack against the tragedies caused by COVID-19.
She was among the first hospital staff members to receive a first dose of the two-injection vaccine produced by Pfizer to protect people from the coronavirus.
Front-line health care workers, along with patients in long-term care facilities, are the first to receive the vaccinations.
“I've been waiting for this day,” Selvaggi said. “I've seen a lot of tragedy both in our hospital and in our community and throughout our nation. We need the vaccine to not only protect ourselves, but our neighbors and loved ones.”
She said she signed up for the nonmandatory injections as soon as she was notified that the hospital would receive the vaccine. Her second injection will be administered in 21 days on Jan. 8.
“I had my vaccination around 8:15 (a.m.) (and) I'm having no side effects,” Selvaggi said early Friday afternoon.
She was instructed to wait for about 30 minutes after receiving the shot in the auditorium in case she developed any side effects, such as soreness at the injection site, low-grade headache, minor muscle and joint pain, or severe allergic reactions. Severe reactions occur from a few minutes to an hour after the vaccine is administered, she said.
Information about side effects was contained in the information from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Pfizer that she was given in advance of receiving the injection.
“You're supplied with a lot of information,” Selvaggi said. “I read up on it before I got it.”
After getting the shot, Selvaggi said she was given information about the CDC's V-safe After-Vaccination Health Checker.Those receiving the vaccine can voluntarily register through the CDC website to use the V-safe smartphone-based tool that checks in on them, asks them to complete a health check-in survey about side effects, and reminds them to get their second injections.“Depending on your answers, the CDC might call to check on you,” said Selvaggi, who is planning to enroll.The goal of V-safe is to ensure the safety of the vaccine, according to the CDC.More than 3,000 members of the BHS health care team are eligible to be vaccinated. About 70% are expected to get the vaccination, according to BMH.The Pennsylvania Department of Health said about 17,480 of the 538,655 total cases in the state are among health care workers.UPMC PassavantA shipment of COVID-19 Pfizer vaccinations reached UPMC Passavant in Cranberry Township on Thursday via UPS.While vaccinations are earmarked for Passavant staff, UPMC at this time is not requiring employees to vaccinate.“Evidence indicated the vaccines are safe and effective,” said Lisa Lombardo, director of public relations for UPMC, in an email to the Eagle. “But at this time, there is no plan to make COVID-19 vaccination mandatory for all staff.”
UPMC has a series of general factors it's using to prioritize staff recipients, according to the hospital. Taken into consideration are where a staff member provides care; the transmission rate the staff member works with; the preservation of the staff work force; and the staff member's personal medical condition.“This vaccination is being administered to our front-line staff and physicians first,” said Susan Hoolahan, president of UPMC Passavant.According to UPMC, those staff members who provide clinical, hospital-based care around the clock will be prioritized to receive a vaccination first.The first priority group includes nurses, care providers, environmental services, transporters and emergency department staff, among others.Hoolahan said the hope is the vaccines will provide staff, patients and the community with “an extra layer of security.”“We are thrilled to be able to begin the process of vaccinating our staff at UPMC Passavant,” Hoolahan said. “This momentous occasion brings us hope that we are now at the beginning of the end of the pandemic.”
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