McLaren Port Huron began the process of immunizing its health care workers against COVID-19 at the hospital today.
“Our health care heroes have been courageously battling each wave of this virus for nearly a year,” said Eric Cecava, president and CEO, McLaren Port Huron. “Now it is time we take the final fight to COVID-19.”
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently authorized Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use, which began being distributed to hospitals over the weekend. McLaren Port Huron received 275 doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine on Friday, and is expecting to receive 50 additional doses on Sunday, with additional quantities expected over the next few weeks, including from other vaccine producers.
“It made me so proud to get the vaccine,” said Katrina Raski, a medical assistant in the Emergency Department at McLaren Port Huron. “Health care workers lay their life on the line, and I needed to lead by example. It made me cry, feeling such peace, and hope.”
McLaren Health Care hospitals, outpatient clinics, and other subsidiaries surveyed their team members, medical staffs, and contract workers’ interest in receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. To date, about 80% of respondents across the McLaren system indicated they are willing to receive the COVID-19 now or in the future.
McLaren then used that data and information from the vaccine producers to create a plan to immunize its health care workers. It is expected to take several weeks to immunize the health care workers affiliated with McLaren who indicated they want the vaccine due to the logistics of administering the shot, minimizing the number of caregivers who may experience side effects at one time, and the availability of doses from the pharmaceutical manufacturers. McLaren Health Care and Walgreens have also launched an innovative partnership where certain McLaren team members authorized to receive the vaccine in the initial distribution will be able to receive their vaccination at a nearby Walgreens store. The collaboration will expedite the immunization of McLaren team members and enhance safety by minimizing the number of team members required to go inside the hospital to receive their vaccinations.
“Walgreens is very proud to collaborate with McLaren on this historic milestone to begin administering Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine to the true heroes who are on the frontlines of battling COVID-19. This is an incredibly important step in an unprecedented effort to allow our nation to emerge from this pandemic,” said John Standley, president, Walgreens.