Twin Lakes Regional Medical Center received the county’s initial doses on the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine on Tuesday, and wasting no time, the vaccine was administered to multiple healthcare professionals.
Then, Wednesday afternoon, the Grayson County Health Department (GCHD) announced the agency received its first doses of the vaccine, with Grayson County EMS employees and Dr. Joseph Lee among the first recipients.
“We are excited to announce that (the) Grayson County Health Department received our first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine and administered them today to local EMS employees, Dr. Joseph Lee, and a few health department employees,” the GCHD said.
Health department officials reminded residents that the initial doses of the vaccine are earmarked for those most likely to come into close contact with coronavirus positive patients/people.
“The first available vaccinations are required to be given to first responders and healthcare workers, and we will continue to administer those in the days to come,” the health department stated.
While the arrival of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, along with the Moderna vaccine, is certainly cause for relief and excitement, hospital officials say now is not the time to relax the rules of living in a pandemic as widespread dispersal of the vaccines is still months away.
“While the arrival of the vaccine is a game changer in the fight against this pandemic, we recognize that the delivery of subsequent vaccine for the general public will take time,” Wayne Meriwether, Twin Lakes Regional Medical Center CEO, said. “Even though there is light at the end of the tunnel, we must continue to wear a mask, practice proper hand hygiene and maintain social distance.”
The vaccines are also being administered in Kentucky’s long-term care facilities, where about 60 percent of the commonwealth’s fatalities either resided or worked, and will hopefully contribute to a drop in COVID-19 fatalities.
Both vaccines require two doses: Pfizer-BioNTech 21 days apart, Moderna 28 days apart.
(Photo l-r: GC EMS paramedic, LFD volunteer firefighter Olivia Duvall, Dr. Joseph Lee, courtesy of the Grayson County Health Dept.)
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com
