Beaumont employees receive the first doses of COVID-19 vaccine

ROYAL OAK, Mich. – A group of Beaumont Health Care heroes received the first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine on Tuesday afternoon.

All health workers who received the vaccine are part of the high-priority group 1A, that is, they have direct or indirect exposure to patients with COVID-19 or infectious materials.

”We are proud to finally be able to offer a vaccine to our teams. This virus has caused too many lives and caused incredible stress to healthcare workers and our healthcare systems around the world. We will do our best to encourage our staff to get vaccinated and help end this pandemic. We are also working on plans to help the community get the vaccine as soon as it is available, ”said Carolyn Wilson, CEO of RN, Beaumont Health.

Beaumont Health’s director of epidemiology and infection prevention, Dr. Nick Gilpin, was the first person to receive the vaccine at Beaumont Health.

“We have been waiting for the arrival of a vaccine since the beginning of the pandemic. I am sure that this vaccine, and the others in development, will stop the spread of the virus and save lives. However, I also know that it will take some time for most of the population to get vaccinated. In the meantime, it is very important that we all continue to wear masks and practice social distancing, ”said Dr. Gilpin.

Beaumont Health leaders recommended that Dr. Gilpin and about 15 other health workers from high-priority group 1A receive the vaccine first. On Tuesday, Beaumont also launched a robust clinic to provide the vaccine to staff.

The health system received a total of 975 initial doses. All other Beaumont health workers who met the high-priority 1A criteria were randomly selected to receive an invitation to obtain the vaccine. At this time, Beaumont does not require the vaccine, so health care workers have the option to reject it.

All members of the first small group of vaccinated Beaumont Health Care heroes will be invited to receive their second dose together at another event to be announced in a few weeks.

The number of confirmed cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) in Michigan has risen to 442,715 as of Tuesday, including 10,935 deaths, state officials report.

Tuesday’s update includes 4,730 new cases and 183 additional deaths, including 71 from a Vital Records review.

Michigan Medicine front-line workers also received the COVID-19 vaccine and shared their experiences.