Frontline workers at the University of Mississippi Medical Center are receiving the first injection of the coronavirus vaccine. Thirty nine hundred doses arrived at the center in cold freezers Monday. The center plans to vaccinate 600 employees a day until the first allotment is empty. Dr. Alan Jones, assistant vice chancellor for clinical affairs, is calling the vaccine distribution the light at the end of the tunnel.
"So, I woke up this morning to find out we had 23 additional ICU patients that we don't have beds for in our hospital. But yet I felt relieved by the fact that I knew we would start vaccinating our frontline employees today," said Jones.
UMMC has more employees than doses of the vaccine. But, Jones says their plan for distribution prioritizes workers in highest-risk areas who are likely to treat COVID-19 patients. One of the first in line to receive an injection was infectious disease specialist Dr. Bhagyashri Navalkele. COVID-19 vaccinations are not mandatory for employees at the Medical Center. But, Navalkele believes this will keep her healthy enough to continue to care for coronavirus patients.
"Getting this vaccine helps me to protect myself from getting severe disease, ending up in the hospital on a ventilator or even dying from the disease," said Navalkele.
The Medical Center established an employee vaccine clinic on campus in the lobby of the former Children's hospital. Healthcare workers vaccinated this week will have to receive a second injection in three weeks. Officials say they're not sure when the second shipment will arrive but expect it'll arrive in time.
