St. Josephâs/Candler Health System officials pleased with impact of COVID vaccine By Blair Caldwell | February 11, 2021 at 4:01 PM EST - Updated February 11 at 7:04 PM
SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - Itâs been said many times that the COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective. But St. Josephâs/Candler Health System officials believe they can prove it with new data from their vaccinated staff.
St. Josephâs/Candler has been vaccinating their employees for more than two months, and so far have seen positive results from their clinics.
âWeâre currently at 69.3 percent vaccination rate.â
âOur COVID related absences have dropped 54 percent.â
St. Josephâs/Candler distributing COVID-19 vaccine to patients
St. Josephâs/Candler distributing COVID-19 vaccine to patients By Blair Caldwell | January 29, 2021 at 3:43 PM EST - Updated January 29 at 7:11 PM
SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - St. Josephâs/Candler started vaccinating their patients in phase 1A+ last week.
They did 920 shots last week, another 500 Friday, and have an additional 1,000 vaccine appointments next week for those over 70 years old.
We all know how high the demand has been for vaccination appointments. Well, St. Josephâs/Candler has been reaching out to their patients to get vaccines into arms.
âIt was easy, no problem,â said patient Charcy Bonner.
If you re over 65 and your finger hurts from dialing the phone again and again for a COVID-19 vaccine appointment you still don t have, rest assured you have plenty of company.
As of about 6 p.m. Tuesday, the Georgia Department of Public Health reported that 997,950 doses of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines had been shipped to Georgia and 484,775 doses had been administered in the state. In a state of over 10 million residents, more than 1.5 million of whom qualify for the vaccine so far, that s left a lot of frustration.
More than a dozen health care providers and pharmacies have received shipments of the vaccines in Chatham County. Some ordered only enough for their own employees and are not offering them to the public. Some, like Kroger, received only a small portion of their request so far 300 doses in the case of Kroger s, according to the state web site and have already distributed them to patients.
The COVID vaccine rollout in coastal Georgia has been a hurry up and wait affair for most seniors.
Shirley Chester, 70, is a good example. The Savannah resident began calling the health department to schedule a vaccine appointment the minute she learned she could. She phoned for hours without getting through. When she finally did reach a human, she was only able to give her name and number and told to wait for a call back.
She broke down and cried in frustration.
But on Friday, the health department called her back. Could she come right away and get her shot? She sure could. Her brother drove her to the main building on Eisenhower Drive.
Memorial Health seeing record number of COVID-19 hospitalizations Share Updated: 6:24 PM EST Jan 8, 2021 Share Updated: 6:24 PM EST Jan 8, 2021
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Show Transcript HIGHEST NUMBER WAS ON DECEMBER 30TH. WHEN MORE THAN 42-HUNDRED PEOPLE TESTED POSITIVE. THE RECORD NUMBERS OF COVID CASES IN GEORGIA IS LEADING TO RECORD NUMBERS OF HOSPITALIZATIONS, INCLUDING RIGHT HERE IN SAVANNAH. HERE S OUR DAVE WILLIAMS WITH MORE. THE HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS AT MEMORIAL HEALTH AND OTHER AREA HOSPITALS CONTINUE TO HAVE THEIR HANDS FULL WITH TREATING CORONAVIRUS PATIENTS. FRIDAY, MEMORIAL HEALTH SAW 78 PATIENTS ONE MORE THAN THERE PREVIOUS HIGH OF 77 BACK IN JULY. (DR. STEPHEN THACKER- ASSOCIATE CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER, MEMORIAL HEALTH) WHEN YOU COMBINE ST. JOE S/CANDLER HEALTH SYSTEM AND OUR OWN WE RE AT A NEW HIGHWATER MARK OF HOSPITALIZATIONS RIGHT AT 170 A LITTLE BIT OVER DURING THE DAY WHICH IS MORE THAN WE WERE AT IT S WORST IN JULY. BU