The COVID-19 vaccine for frontline health care personnel in northern Alabama will begin Wednesday morning and will also be available to physicians’ offices and emergency medical responders, a Huntville Hospital spokesman said Monday.
The hospital expects 6,825 doses of the Pfizer-Bioentech vaccine to arrive on Tuesday, said Tracy Doug T, the hospital’s senior vice president.
A second dose will be needed in 21 days for complete inoculation. First-round doses are coming from the state, which also has follow-up doses as needed. According to another AL.com report, Half of the first dose will be allocated to hospital health care workers, 15 percent to EMS workers, 15 percent to physician offices, and 20 percent to other hospital staff.
Dafty briefed reporters late Monday on Huntville’s plans. As an example of early vaccination, Dafty cited hospital fever and flu clinic staff, who have been investigating people for the virus since the outbreak. The status of other key personnel for vaccination will be rotated, he said, so that not all respiratory therapists receive the vaccine overnight in case of side effects.
“Our goal is to complete it within the two-week timeframe,” Doughty said.
Based on a survey of 1,000 employees, DT said they expect 50-55 per cent of eligible employees to be vaccinated in the first round, another 20-30-30 per cent in the second round and more over time.
Dafty said he did not know when the next shipment would arrive. “We may get a little bit by the end of the first year next year,” he said.
Dafty said the hospital leadership is planning a vaccine rollout. Specifications such as where to walk when approaching the planned vaccination site, the number of vaccination sites at each location, and the required 30-minute wait before exit have been reduced.
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