“The Most Uplifting Day”: AHN Begins Vaccination of Healthcare Professionals | News

“It’s been a really long nine months for frontline caregivers and nurses. They bravely fight this pandemic and know that more will happen in the future,” said AHN Chief Nurse Executive. Dr. Claire Zangale said. “It made an emotional sacrifice, but they continue to appear every day.”

AHN received 9,750 shipments earlier this week.

The network plans to first vaccinate healthcare professionals who provide direct care to COVID-19 patients, including those working in the emergency department and inpatient wards.

Hundreds of front-line workers have been vaccinated in AHN hospitals, and doctors estimated that the network would be able to vaccinate employees who want it by early February.

Dr. Brian Parker, AHN’s Chief Quality Officer, said the process would take a long time, but “to be able to begin the first phase of this mass vaccination effort, which is key to ending the pandemic. I am excited”.

On Friday afternoon, Toy Gregorakis, a nursing assistant in the emergency department at Canonsburg Hospital, received the first round of the two shots he needed.

Gregorakis is often the first person a COVID-19 patient encounters in a hospital.

“All you have to do is work in the emergency room with me one day and see the COVID patients that our doctors and nurses have to deal with, and you say,” OK, I I’m ready to be shot. ” Gregorakis said.

Gregorakis said he was overjoyed when he was told to avoid seeing his 2 and 6 year old granddaughters and get vaccinated because of his work with COVID-19 patients.

“I can’t wait to see my granddaughter again. I want to keep it safe. I hope everyone gets together and gets vaccinated,” she said. “We want everyone to be vaccinated, so we can continue to live a normal life.”

The vaccine is a pandemic turning point, and AHN doctors said there was light at the end of the tunnel, but it’s time for COVID-19 cases to reach record heights.

The death toll exceeded 311,000 on Friday, with 3,293 reported.

Hospitalizations have reached record highs nationwide and in the region.

It’s not time to give up safety measures to slow the spread of the virus, such as wearing face masks, increasing social distance, and washing hands, AHN doctors said.

“It’s not time to feel pandemic fatigue. It’s not time to relax your vigilance. Just because a vaccine is available should stop everything we asked you to do. That’s not the case, “Dr. Parker said.

Doctors also urged people to avoid Christmas and holiday gatherings with people other than those living in their immediate homes, as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“It’s very important to keep this holiday in the bubble,” said Dr. Parker.

A second COVID-19 vaccine from Moderna was recommended by the Food and Drug Administration on Thursday for an emergency use authorization, and other companies plan to roll out the vaccine in the coming months.

Both Pfizer and Moderna vaccines have been shown to be 95% effective in preventing disease.

AHN officials are urging everyone, including the African-American community and other people at risk, to get the vaccine when it becomes available.

Doctors pointed out that side effects were mostly mild, such as pain at the injection site and fatigue lasting a day or two.

Gregorakis, who will be vaccinated for the second time within 21 days, said the injection was painless.

Cathy Sikola, director of the emergency department at Allegheny General Hospital, was delighted after giving the first vaccine of AHN to the emergency department nurses.

She sent a late-night text to Zangel.

“The most uplifting day of nine months. The excitement and hope was clear. This is the first day most of us go home without crying.”