Holzer Starts COVID-19 Vaccines for Local Healthcare Workers
Dr. Mike Canady, CEO, received one of the first doses just hours after the COVID-19 vaccine arrived.
Christmas came early, if you ask Holzer’s Chief Executive Officer Dr. Mike Canady. On Tuesday the 22nd, Holzer Health System received its first shipment of the COVID-19 vaccine to be given to frontline healthcare workers. Within one hour of arrival, the first dose was being administered. With 1,500 total vaccines to distribute over the next few days, nurses, doctors and frontline staff are ensuring everyone that would get the vaccine is provided a slot to receive it. The vaccines will be offered to all Holzer frontline and support personnel throughout all our 7 geographic areas in the mid-Ohio Valley as part of the national vaccine distribution plan.
"We are very excited about receiving these vaccines, and are eager to begin administering right away," said Canady. "We have worked to identify and prioritize employees by their level of interaction with patients and will be giving to all interested employees as soon as possible. Several of our employees suggested that some of our leaders be among the first to receive the vaccine as an example to others, and I was delighted to do so."
The vaccine received is manufactured by Moderna and has been granted an Emergency Use Authorization by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the goal of the vaccine is to teach immune systems how to both recognize and fight the virus that causes COVID-19. The vaccine requires two doses, to be administered 28 days apart.
When asked when the vaccine would be availability to community members, Canady stated "We are committed to keeping the communities we serve informed and have every intention of deploying the vaccine as soon as possible." Although Holzer has not received official word on the community vaccine availability, they are hopeful to have them in the next 6 to 8 weeks and will continue to keep the public informed through the newspaper, the Holzer website: Holzer.org, and social media channels.
