‘It is historic.’ First healthcare workers at Manatee hospitals get COVID vaccine
Manatee Memorial Hospital received 1,300 doses of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine about 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, and by 1 p.m. was already inoculating staff members.
Joanne Nipper, a 65-year-old registered nurse who works in the cardiovascular intensive care unit, was the first to get the vaccine, administered by Merrily Moran, also a registered nurse.
“Yay, I didn’t feel a thing,” Nipper said, applauding after getting vaccinated.
“I am a Canadian and I want to go home to see my family. I was shocked, but happy, to be selected the first to receive the vaccine,” Nipper said. “I never felt unsafe at work. I just followed the protocols.”
Kevin DiLallo, chief executive officer of Manatee Healthcare System in Bradenton, said he was hoping that the first doses might have been delivered Monday, but was happy that the vaccine has finally arrived.
With more than 2,000 employees, it will take some time for every Manatee Memorial staff member who wants the vaccine to get one. Hundreds have already signed up, but not everyone is convinced that they want the vaccine, DiLallo said.
About 40 workers were slated to be vaccinated Wednesday, and another 40 on Thursday, he said.
Manatee Memorial, and its sister hospital, Lakewood Ranch Medical Center, became the first Bradenton-area hospitals to receive the vaccine and start inoculating staff on Wednesday. Sarasota Memorial Hospital started its inoculation program on Tuesday.
Vanessa Spingola, the Emergency Department clinical leader, was the first Lakewood Ranch Medical Center healthcare worker to get the immunization.
Lakewood Ranch Medical Center healthcare workers began signing up for their immunizations last week.
Jerry Larona, a registered nurse, was the second to receive the vaccine at Manatee Memorial.
“It seems like it is historic, it is newly developed,” Larona said. “I am dealing with COVID patients on my floor. With the vaccine I feel that I have more protection.”
Dr. Ralph Gonzalez, chief of staff at the hospital, also received the vaccine on Wednesday.
“I think it is a great thing for the country, for the area, and for everyone. I wanted to show support for the vaccine and its safety,” Gonzalez, 53, said. “Get the word out there that it is safe and that everyone should get it.”
Friday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency use authorization for the Moderna vaccine, following a similar approval for the Pfizer vaccine on Dec. 10.
The first to receive the vaccines in the Bradenton area were more than 200 front-line healthcare workers Tuesday outside the emergency management center. They received the Pfizer vaccine, which requires extremely cold storage.
Additional vaccine shipments to local hospital are anticipated in the coming weeks.
Blake Medical Center has also received its first shipment of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine and will begin vaccinating caregivers deemed at highest risk at 7 a.m. Thursday.
“The safety of our caregivers remains first and foremost and we are excited to be able to provide this vaccine now as positive COVID-19 cases continue to increase in the community,” Randy Currin, president/CEO of Blake Medical Center, said in a statement “Our caregivers have been relentless over the past 10 months in caring for our patients and we thank these healthcare heroes for all they are doing for our patients and our community.”
The vaccine is being distributed to caregivers based on a tiering structure of COVID-19 exposure risk and is optional for all caregivers. As additional supplies of the vaccine are received, the tiering process will continue until all caregivers who want the vaccine receive it.
“We are extremely pleased to be providing our caregivers the protection this COVID-19 vaccine provides,” Kimberly Hatchel, chief nursing officer for Blake Medical Center, said in a statement. “As caregivers we are proud to lead the way out of this crisis through vaccination and remaining vigilant about masking, social distancing and handwashing.”
The Moderna vaccine can be stored in standard hospital refrigeration systems and so it can be shipped directly to hospitals. Like the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine, it also requires two doses to provide the best protection against COVID-19.
