Washington’s first COVID vaccine is given at UW Medicine. (REI 5)
The first vaccines against COVID-19 at UW Medicine took place on Tuesday at 11 a.m., while a group of front-line workers received the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.
“Today’s word is transcendental,” Dr. John Lynch, associate medical director of Harborview.
The first vaccinated employees included nurses, doctors, environmental service staff and respiratory care therapists.
UW Medicine received approximately 3,900 doses of the Pfizer vaccine Monday for its hospitals: Harborview Medical Center, Valley Medical Center and the two campuses of the University of Washington Medical Center (Montlake and Northwest). Vaccination clinics for UW Medicine eligible medical workers will begin on Thursday, December 17th.
The first shipments of a widely used COVID-19 vaccine to the United States left Michigan on Sunday for distribution centers across the country. The initial shipment from Washington state has 62,000 doses of Pfizer vaccine, which will be prioritized for front-line health workers and people in long-term care facilities.
“I’m glad to say that the federal government has authorized the use of a vaccine against COVID,” Governor Jay Inslee said Sunday, adding that Washington State has also completed its own security review. scientific, along with its partners in other west coast states.
“Obviously, that can’t come soon enough,” Inslee said of the vaccine.
Another Moderna vaccine will be reviewed by a group of experts this week and shortly thereafter public use will be allowed.