SAN ANTONIO — State health departments across the nation, including in Texas, are preparing for the first rollout of the coronavirus vaccine, pending federal approval.
According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, more than 220,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine will be shipped to 109 hospitals in 34 counties by mid-December, which is just one of several distribution allotments to come.
“People should start to feel confident about the new vaccine technology and I think that’s going to be our way forward,” said Dr. Sam Bagchi, chief clinical officer for Christus Health.
Bagchi noted interest in the coronavirus vaccine is high among those on the frontlines working to curb the pandemic.
“We know many of them are eager to get access to an FDA-approved vaccine that’s safe and effective, and it appears we will have that in the next few weeks,” Bagchi said.
The vaccine will be prioritized at first for ER doctors, nurses and others at high-risk of contracting the virus.
“Our EMS workers, so we even think about our laboratory workers, our pharmacists, our environmental services workers, so people who are cleaning rooms,” Bagchi said.
The vaccine rollout comes with numerous challenges, including storage capacity and ensuring the supply is kept at extremely cold temperatures.
Overall, Bagchi said Christus Health is ready to go and he hopes the initial phases of distribution will lead to halting the surge in transmission of the pandemic come the new year.
“I think we’ve still got tough times ahead," he said. "But optimism can get us through it and I think we got the right tools coming and the right know-how to help change the direction of the pandemic that we’re in right now."