Halifax Health has used up its first shipment of the Moderna coronavirus vaccine. The hospital system received 1,800 doses last week, 500 of which were administered to the general public ages 65 and older, according to hospital officials.
On Dec. 23, Halifax Health received its first doses of the vaccine, which were first offered to the hospital system s 4,300 team members. Just 1,300 employees chose to be vaccinated. Hospital officials did not answer questions from The News-Journal as to why so few employees received the vaccine. As we had vaccinated all the team members who currently wanted the vaccine, we had a limited supply remaining, said hospital spokesman John Guthrie in an emailed statement. In accordance with the state guidelines, we offered the vaccines to community members who are 65 years and older via an email to our 4,300 team members.
DAYTONA BEACH There was applause on Wednesday in the Emergency Room at Halifax Health Medical Center, as the first dose of a coronavirus vaccine was administered to a member of the hospital’s medical staff.
A little after noon, Dr. Kent Harman, the hospital’s director of Intensive Care Services, rolled up his right sleeve for a .5mL injection of the Moderna coronavirus vaccine as a dozen or so hospital officials, frontline medical workers and media watched.
“It has been a long several months since March,” Harman said. “We’re very encouraged to have a vaccine that we know is effective.”
AdventHealth started immunizing staff against COVID-19 at the Daytona Beach facility this week.Halifax Health has now received 1,800 doses of the Moderna vaccine. Dr. Kent Harman didn t expect to have the starring role as Halifax Health began immunizing staff, but the intensive care services director was ready, willing and confident.“The vaccine is safe, and it s very unlikely to have significant side effects in the vast majority of people,” Harman said.Halifax has treated about 550 COVID-19 patients. Currently, there are 23 getting more critical care, and the front-line workers have been in the COVID-19 unit day in and day out. The arrival of a vaccine will certainly be a boost to those life-savers.“An awful lot of individuals including pharmacy that are in the unit everyday working, so this is by any stretch of the imagination a huge team effort,” Harman said.Though medical professionals hope a vaccine is the beginning of the end of the pandemic, they warn that the pro