A sense of excitement and history became apparent when Conway Memorial Hospital employees participated in the first COVID-19 vaccination on Thursday morning.
Mary Jane Elwell, a licensed nursing assistant in the medical surgery unit of a hospital in her 70s, was the first to get the vaccine.
“I was sending a text message to my daughter when I was in the car, but for all this I haven’t seen her since last Christmas,” she said.
“I’m really very emotional, or I’m completely exhausted,” said Elwell, who had just stopped vaccination at 9 am after finishing the night shift. This will make life easier for all of us, “she said.
Authorized nursing assistants like Elwell provide personal care directly to patients and are one of the highest risk groups of healthcare providers. Most of the hospital’s more than 500 employees belong to that group, known as 1A.
It is expected that it will take several weeks to vaccinate all of Group 1A. Another 43 belong to Group 1B, whose work is considered essential to the operation of the hospital, but does not provide direct care.
Elwell was one of 30 employees vaccinated on Thursday. About 42 employees were scheduled to be vaccinated on Friday.
Elwell remembered being in one of the first groups of children to be vaccinated against polio in 1954.
She states: “Our parents were afraid of polio at the time, just as people today are infected with COVID. Children were dying, children were crippled. My mother was a nurse and worked with the children in the iron lung in the ward, so it’s very special to participate in this. ”
Be aware that delivering vaccines to people requires storage. Pfizer vaccines should be stored at -75 ° C and should be used within 5 days of being removed from the refrigerator.
Vaccines are stored by the state and sent to the scene in a carefully timed manner, as small hospitals like the Memorial do not have refrigeration facilities.
“New Hampshire broke its cold seal on Tuesday at 11:00 am, so we need to administer all the vaccines on-site for five days starting Tuesday morning at 11:00 am,” said Will Owen, emergency preparedness coordinator. I am. “Once the vaccine, which is stored in powder form, is reconstituted, staff have 6 hours to administer it.
Owen said he schedules vaccinations for a few days when he is not working, in case of side effects such as fatigue and fever due to pain at the injection site.
These staff members will not be able to work until such infections are ruled out, as the symptoms can mimic the symptoms of COVID-19 infection. “Therefore, you can’t put the entire ICU here at once,” Owen said.
The hospital received 12 vials of Pfizer vaccine on Tuesday and planned to give 60 shots in two days. Initially, it was thought that these vials would contain vaccines for five people. However, overnight, I learned that a vial can contain 6 doses instead of 5 doses. This means 12 additional doses to the memorial.
“This revelation this morning will find 12 more members to add tomorrow,” Owen said.
A second dose within a month is required to achieve 95% efficacy of the vaccine.
According to Owen, the vaccine will be shipped weekly. “That’s what we’re planning, and next week we’re planning on some of the vaccines to be Pfizer and some to be Moderna,” he said.
Dr. Arlene Murozowski, who works in the emergency department, said he was excited and honored to be part of the first group to receive the vaccine.
“I’m looking forward to getting it for everyone. I’m looking forward to returning to normal life someday,” she said. “Anyone who has access to the vaccine is advised to get it whenever it is available.”
Dr. Kate Dramondo Zimmerman, a graduate of Kennett High School who works at the Maine Medical Center in Portland, shared her reaction to the vaccination on Facebook Thursday.
She states: “For those who wonder, the only side effect of the vaccine was a slight pain at the injection site. It’s less painful than a tetanus booster. I haven’t gained superhuman power (it’s really cool) I would have had side effects or something else that people might be worried about. ”
Overall, the response of the Memorial staff was very positive about getting the vaccine. In an October survey, 83% of respondents said they would be vaccinated, which is not mandatory for Memorial employees.
Hospital staff emphasized that vaccination does not mean less vigilance against the coronavirus and that vaccination of staff does not change hospital policy.
“It doesn’t give you a free pass to start your trip, doesn’t wear a mask, and does whatever you want,” Owen said.
Masks, social distance, hand hygiene and other precautions are still needed until the vaccine is widely distributed to the community.
Mrozowski wanted to remind people that:
“Vaccines do not mean that you never got a COVID. You probably don’t react very well to it. Any vaccine is like that. Just because you’ve been vaccinated against the flu. That doesn’t mean you can’t get the flu, “she said.
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