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Lehigh Valley’s two largest health networks commemorated one of the biggest moments in the 10-month fight against the pandemic on Thursday.
A UPS truck delivered the first dose of Pfizer’s two-dose COVID-19 vaccination, a week after obtaining emergency use clearance from the FDA, to the St. Luke University Health Network.
“It really is, in my opinion, a revolutionary type of day. Certainly not the end of the pandemic, but I think it is an important step towards that end, ”said Dr. Jeffrey Jahre, infectious disease specialist at SLUHN.
St. Luke has received 5,000 doses.
“I’m proud to say that we started giving it within two hours of when we got the dosage, so we’re working at our own speed to get all the staff who accept the vaccine and need the vaccine to. get their initial protection, ”Jahre said.
Lehigh Valley Health Network also received the vaccine on Thursday. He vaccinated ten employees.
Nurse Chantal Branco was the first.
“There is definitely an element of stress relief,” Branco said. “I’m really excited, kinda the only good thing that’s happening to us this week.”
Experts said it was a start and not the end of the ongoing battle against the pandemic. They will all remain socially distanced, masking and washing their hands repeatedly.
But it’s a welcome start, and perhaps the first glimpse of the light at the end of the tunnel.
The LVHN said it would vaccinate another 1,000 workers on Friday.
“We anticipate that in the coming weeks we will be able to strike our high risk people depending on the job and the field in which they work,” said Dr Timothy Friel, infectious disease specialist at LVHN.
They will then move on to other employees.
St. Luke’s said it expects the Moderna vaccine to also receive emergency clearance and be available to the network by next week.
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