By Richard Kaufman
Sentinel Reporter
It was an emotional and exciting day for the Yale New Haven Health System, as frontline workers received their first dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.
Five healthcare workers each took the vaccine during a live streamed event from Yale New Haven Hospital on Tuesday afternoon: Dr. Onyema Ogbuagu, the principal investigator for YNHH’s Pfizer vaccine trial; Mackenzie Kelly, a nurse in the Emergency Department; Dr. Jonathan Siner, leader of the health system’s critical care team; Terry Naser, an Environmental Services Associate; and Katherine-Kay Husler, a medical Intensive Care Unit nurse.
Marna Borgstrom, CEO of Yale New Haven Health (YNHH), called it a “big day.”
“This has been a long time coming. We have been taking care of COVID patients for almost a year… Our staff is tired, they haven’t gotten any breaks during this time. They’ve shown up every day and done their best for our patients and their families,” she said.
“We’re at a moment now where we have an opportunity to take advantage of a vaccine that is 95% effective. It’s a great opportunity and it hopefully starts a new chapter in our life with COVID. What we start today is just the beginning of what we will roll out in our health system.”
YNHH plans to vaccinate all healthcare workers first over the next six weeks, with a fast-track for those who have worked in Emergency Departments, Intensive Care Units, and COVID Units. Greenwich Hospital received its vaccine shipment early Tuesday evening.
“We’ve been waiting a long time for this day, and we can’t believe that it’s finally here. It’s really exciting,” said Dr. Tom Balcezak, Executive Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer for Yale New Haven Health. “This vaccine is safe, it’s effective and it is the way out of this pandemic. It’s critically important that everyone in the state of Connecticut get this vaccine and across the country. This is the way we will stop the spread of this pandemic and stop the spread of this disease.”
Each healthcare worker spoke briefly after they received their shot in the arm. All said they were hopeful that brighter days are ahead.
“As a researcher who worked on the vaccine, as an infectious disease specialist who has been on the frontline of caring for patients with COVID-19, as a dad of three kids, as a person of color, I think it’s been really gratifying to be a part of this process for the Pfizer vaccine,” Ogbuagu said, adding that it felt like getting the flu shot. “I hope the message today is this is the beginning of the end of the pandemic I hope, and that we all need to roll up our sleeves, get this thing, and move on.”
The Pfizer vaccine requires two doses — the second dose is administered 21 days after the first. YNHH is utilizing electronic medical records to remind staff when their second shot is scheduled for.
“I’m a mom, a nurse, a daughter. I haven’t seen my mom in almost a year now. I’m grateful. We’ve seen a lot of really bad stuff in the Emergency Room. This is hopeful,” Kelly said.
Vin Petrini, Senior Vice President and head of Public Affairs at Yale New Haven Health, said the system has launched a campaign titled “Crush COVID-19” in order to disseminate information and instill trust in the public about the vaccine.
“We’re going to be working with community organizations throughout the state of Connecticut to get that word out as well, and we’re going to be working with our medical staff,” Petrini said.
Dr. Keith Churchwell, President of Yale New Haven Hospital, noted that the health system has cared for more COVID patients than any other provider in the state, and that over 6,000 patients have been discharged since March. But Tuesday marked a crossroads in dealing with the disease.
Churchwell urged people to have trust in science, as he cited national polls showing hesitancy amongst Americans in getting vaccinated. Eighty percent of the population must get vaccinated in order to achieve what is called “herd immunity”, which would stop the virus in its tracks.
“I am here today to say that there’s nothing more important than to get vaccinated. It will keep you safe from one of the most ravenous diseases we’ve seen in our lifetimes,” he said. “I’ve heard the stories and I’ve read the myths. My advice to you is clear and direct: stay away from the rumors and the stories that run too rampant on the internet, and get vaccinated as soon as you can. It’s time to move forward, so let’s start right now.”
Tuesday’s vaccination live stream can be found below:
