Ripon Medical Center Receives COVID 19 Moderna Vaccine Shipment
29 December 2020 News
Ripon Medical Center, a member of Agnesian HealthCare, has received its first shipment of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine this week and has begun to administer to its health care workers.
“Our first goal is to get the staff protected so they can continue to care for our patients,” according to DeAnn Thurmer, Ripon Medical Center and Waupun Memorial Hospital president.
Moderna was authorized on December 18 for use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use in people ages 18 and older. Moderna’s vaccine has a 94.1 percent efficacy rate. Like the Pfizer vaccine, Moderna’s is given in two doses
The Moderna vaccine can be stored at regular freezer temperatures, rather than the ultra-cold temperatures required for Pfizer’s shot; and once thawed, Moderna is good for 30 days, compared to Pfizer’s 120 hours.
“The safety of our caregivers remains first and foremost and we are excited to be able to provide this vaccine as positive COVID-19 cases continue to be a challenge in the communities we serve,” Thurmer says. “Our caregivers have been working so hard over the past 10 months in caring for our patients and we thank these health care heroes for all they are doing for our patients and our community.”
Because the COVID-19 vaccines are new and manufacturers cannot immediately produce enough supplies to vaccinate everyone who wants the vaccine, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and local public health departments have recommended a phased approach to vaccinations with health care workers first to receive them.
It is difficult to estimate how long this initial phase of vaccine distribution to frontline health care workers will take as it is dependent on the manufacturers’ ability to release vaccine supplies. Once health care workers have been vaccinated, the next phase of distribution will expand to include other essential workers and high-risk patients. In a later phase the vaccine will be available to all members of the general public.
“We do not anticipate any of the COVID-19 vaccines will be widely available to our patients and the general public until early 2021 or later,” says Missy Tate, director of Agnesian Work & Wellness, who is helping to coordinate vaccination efforts through the Employee Health department. “As production of the vaccines increases to the point of being widely available to the public, we will be sure to communicate that information to our patients and the communities we serve.”
Interest from the community-at-large is increasing as more vaccination is being delivered.
“Agnesian HealthCare appreciates that people are eager to learn more about the COVID-19 vaccines, but requests people refrain from calling their health care provider or clinic for information to keep phone lines open for patients who are experiencing active symptoms or have acute care needs,” Tate says.
Patients interested in receiving notification of COVID-19 vaccine availability are encouraged to sign up for an online MyChart account. Signup is available at MyChart.ssmhc.com. To learn more about the vaccine, visit agnesian.com/covid19, or the CDC (cdc.org) and the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (hhs.gov) web sites.
Until and after COVID-19 vaccines are broadly available, the CDC continues to recommend that people take all the necessary precautions to prevent getting or spreading COVID-19:
- Stay home when you have symptoms.
- Do not gather with others outside your immediate household. If you must, wear a mask and stay at least six feet apart.
- Practice good hand hygiene, washing for at least 20 seconds, scrubbing thoroughly and rinsing completely.
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