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HOUSTON – It’s a historic day in Houston and in the fight against coronavirus.
The first hospital workers in our area finally have what it takes to start fighting the coronavirus that has been killing people in our community since earlier this year.
Hermann COVID Memorial ICU nurse Robert Luckey said he has been caring for COVID-19 patients, even feeling his comfort while being isolated from the family and while caring for his own family at home of the beginning of the pandemic.
“We all have mothers, fathers, children we want to protect, so I think that’s the main idea,” she explained why she felt lucky to receive the first vaccine in Houston.
There is a video for each truck arriving at the loading docks of hospitals in the Houston area.
Ben Taub, UTMB in Galveston, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston Methodist Hospital, LBJ Hospital, CHI-St. Luke’s and Memorial Hermann Hospital at Texas Medical Center.
“This is the next step, the most important step in recovering,” said Dr. James McCarthy, executive physician at the Hermann Healthcare System Memorial.
The vaccination process was as follows:
As soon as the vials got out of the truck, the ones used were thawed at room temperature in just over half an hour.
The condensed liquid was diluted, stirred gently and distributed in five doses.
The first five recipients in Houston were from the Hermann Memorial ICU COVID, emergency departments, an infectious disease doctor and a respiratory therapist.
All freezer doses must be used within six months.
“We will use them much more quickly and have staff ready to line up,” said Dr. Anna Maria Macaluso Davidson, vice president of medical operations for the Hermann Memorial.
According to CDC guidelines, the first level of hospital staff to receive the vaccine will be those who are in direct contact with the coronavirus. Shipments of more medications will be delivered in the next few days and will need to keep arriving, as all of these recipients will need a second dose in 21 days.
Moderna has a candidate vaccine with similar efficacy to Pfizer. The Moderna vaccine does not need to be stored at extremely cold temperatures, but it does require two doses.
The company is meeting with the FDA this week.
If they are granted an emergency use permit, there is a possibility that this public vaccination process may move faster.
However, the best hope for the majority of the population to have enough immunity to start returning to normal will likely take us into spring or summer, according to Dr. McCarthy.
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