COVID-19 Vaccine Arrives at Prowers Medical Center

The First Shipment of Vaccine Arriving at PMC

The first shipment of the COVID-19 vaccine arrived today at Prowers Medical Center, according to hospital Chief Executive Officer, Karen Bryant. “The hospital has received 175 doses of the Pfizer vaccine and we expect 100 doses of the Moderna vaccine will also be forthcoming once it has been approved for general distribution by the Food and Drug Administration,” she explained. Bryant said Prowers County Public Health is also expecting their first shipment from Pfizer as well with a similar number of doses. The hospital CEO said all of these doses are provided at no cost.

PMC Pharmacist Robin Thacker and Courier

Pharmacist Robin Thacker and assorted health care providers met the courier at the entranceway of the hospital Thursday morning, shortly before noon to give him an official greeting and welcome for the much-anticipated vaccine.

Bryant said the hospital has been preparing for the arrival and its distribution. She said she anticipated receiving word on the arrival of the Moderna vaccine sometime Friday which will offer 100 doses. “We’ve already been preparing and put our plan together for the vaccine and who will be getting the doses and we’re going to begin running our clinic on Friday.”

She said some of the vaccine will be distributed outside the hospital as there was more vaccine than staff. “We’ve reached out to health care partners in our community in the county so they will have access to get their staff vaccinated as well,” she explained.

Phase one of the distribution program calls for people giving direct care to patients to receive the first doses. “We have 15 different local entities that has staff which will be coming Friday to attend the clinic,” she continued.

Bryant explained the Pfizer vaccines require two shots over a specific time period, “There’s a three day window before and after 21 days for the second vaccine, so those individuals who get their vaccine tomorrow will need to come back within 18 to 24 days.” She said by that time the second shipment will have arrived.

Bryant went on to say that the handling of the vaccine has changed to make it more accessible in distribution as the shipment contains sufficient dry ice to keep it viable for 72 hours, eliminating the need for a facility to have the extreme cold storage required on site.

The second phases of distribution will be in spring and summer with a clear-cut explanation of who will receive those vaccines at that point.

By Russ Baldwin