Providence gives first caregivers Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine Friday
Health care workers in Thurston and Lewis counties received Providence Health and Services’ first COVID-19 vaccines on Friday.
The arrival of the vaccine to southwest Washington marks a key turning point in the fight against the virus that has upended daily life since March and killed over 3,000 Washingtonians.
Providence started vaccinations with its allocation of the Pfizer vaccine, prioritizing high-risk individuals and essential health care workers, according to a Friday news release. As supply increases over time, Providence will offer the vaccine to more individuals on a timeline determined by the Washington Department of Health and local health jurisdictions.
Caregivers were among the first to be vaccinated as part of a training exercise. Ashlynn Strode and Elizabeth Vadnais, both emergency department nurses at St. Peter Hospital in Olympia, said in Providence’s news release that they felt excited to be vaccinated.
Strode underscored the magnitude of the moment when she said the virus has globally killed over 1.6 million people.
“As an ER nurse, we are the frontline,” Strode said. “When you see this virus wreak havoc on people and their families, it breaks your heart. I come face to face with this virus at work every day. The lives lost leaves an impression on you. This virus has fought a winning battle — until now!”
Vadnais, who has worked at St. Peter for 15 years, said she signed up to be a vaccinator because she wants to ensure her fellow caregivers feel safe in their essential work.
“I want everyone to feel safe going home to their families,” Vadnais said. “I want this pandemic to end so that I can spend time with my grandchildren and great grandchildren again.”
Christopher Andrews, an emergency department pharmacist at Providence Centralia Hospital, also was vaccinated Friday. He said he hopes his action can be an example to others who may have doubts about the vaccine.
“We need this vaccine to help end this pandemic,” said Andrews. “I’m excited to be one of the first to receive the vaccine to show our community that this is safe and effective.”
The Pfizer vaccine has undergone evaluation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and independent experts — including Providence caregivers, according to the news release.
Through these evaluations, the vaccine has been proven to protect people from contracting the virus and limit disease severity if a person is infected, the release read.
Providence staffers urged those with questions about the vaccine to speak to their health care provider for accurate information.
“I think there is a lot of misinformation circulating about this vaccine that patients need clarification on,” Strode said. “This type of virus and the formulation of a vaccine has been studied for over a decade.”
However, the arrival of the vaccine does not mean the pandemic will soon come to a close. It’s possible the vaccine may not be effective at limiting transmission, so people will still need to take precautions until its widely distributed.
People should remain vigilant throughout the holiday season and well into 2021, said Kevin Caserta, Chief Medical Officer for Providence Southwest Washington, in the news release.
“We all need to continue to mask, social distance, and take necessary cleaning and hygiene precautions,” Caserta said. “We are optimistic that this vaccine is our first step in healing our community and country. Together, we can stop the spread of COVID-19.”
