PROVIDENCE – Dr. Christian Orpheus, a physician and vice president of education who attended emergency medicine at Rhode Island Hospital, received the first COVID-19 vaccine on Rhode Island on Monday.
“I am full of adrenaline and joy,” he told reporters a few minutes later. “I thank our scientists for what they did.”
“I’m glad we’re all back to a normal life and seeing our loved ones,” Arpiles said. “It’s hard for us not to be with those we care about, and it’s hard to take care of people who are dying.”
The organization said Monday that Fizer’s Covit-19 vaccine began to be given to high-risk front-line health workers on Monday after receiving about 1,950 doses.
Rhode Island Hospital and Newport Hospital were the first two hospitals to receive the vaccine. A further 975 dose is expected on Tuesday, and all hospitals will have 10,750 doses by the end of the week, Lifespan said.
“Lifetime is grateful for the provision of the first coronavirus vaccine to help protect high-risk health care workers who need to treat our patients,” said Dr. Timothy J., Lifetime President and CEO. Babino said in a prepared statement. “We are ready to distribute the vaccine quickly. We have strong reasons to believe that after many months of fighting this epidemic, results will be seen.”
Lifespan spokeswoman Jane Bruno said the vaccine was shipped by FedEx several hours before planning on Monday morning. He said the first dose will be given at 1pm at Jerry House in Rhode Island Hospital.
Shortly after receiving the lifeboat, the Rhode Island COVID-19 Vaccine Subcommittee voted to recommend that hospitals begin vaccinating front-line hospital staff. Arpiles was vaccinated just after 1 p.m., followed by Fernando M., a maintenance worker at Rhode Island Hospital for 24 years. Pierce. Life expectancy is focused on vaccinating health care providers and hospital staff who are in direct contact with COVID-positive patients or COVID-positive infectious fluids or products.
“As a healthcare system, we know that there are two ways to fight this epidemic,” Babino said in a statement. The first is to treat COVID-19 patients effectively and efficiently. We already do that every day. The second is to prevent people from getting this dangerous disease first. With this vaccine, studies have shown that it is safe and 94 percent effective and can help our healthcare system and workers play a key role in overcoming COVID-19. ”
Approximately 3,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine will be distributed equally among hospitals within the Lifespan network, officials said. Vaccines were given Monday at Rhode Island Hospital; Workers at Bradley Hospital, which will run clinics for staff at Miriam Hospital and Newport Hospital on Tuesday, will be vaccinated on Wednesday. All vaccinated persons should return to the second dose within three weeks.
Dr. Nicole Alexander-Scott, director of the state health department, which announced over the weekend that it had tested positive for Covit-19, said Rhode Island was receiving “one of the best vaccines ever developed.”
“In the coming weeks and months, when the vaccine becomes more available, vaccination will be one of the most powerful things you can do to keep yourself and the people you love safe from COVID-19,” said Alexander-Scott. “We are going to work to ensure that every person in every community on Rhode Island has the vaccine, especially the communities that have been severely affected by this community.”
Don McGowan can be accessed at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter ananmcgowan.