Image
NOTE: The following information was published Jan.6, 2021. For current vaccination information, visit LVHN.org/vaccines.
William Maas, 81, was the first person to receive his COVID-19 vaccination administered by Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN) at Saucon Valley Manor today. The retired mailman and dedicated blood donor (11 gallons donated), says he was glad to get the vaccine. “It’s very important to get the vaccine, for me,” he says.
Fellow resident, Anna Szoke, 89, who raised three children, also rolled up her sleeve to receive a vaccine. “I am happy to get it,” Szoke says.
Maas and Szoke are two of the 12 residents and eight staff members from Saucon Valley Manor in Hellertown who received COVID-19 vaccinations given by LVHN caregivers. This vaccination event was conducted to help ensure those considered at the highest risk for infection begin receiving protective shots and is in line with Pennsylvania Department of Health guidance that prioritizes people – including those in skilled nursing and long-term care facilities – receive vaccinations as quickly as possible.
“We have vaccinated our high-risk, frontline workers as well as others within our health network who want the vaccine and continue to do so,” says Brian A. Nester, DO, MBA, LVHN President and Chief Executive Officer. “As we continue that process in keeping with the CDC and state guidelines, we also are beginning to care for others who are most vulnerable in our community outside of our hospitals, those in long-term care facilities who are considered among the highest risk.”
Nester said LVHN staff is working as quickly as possible to get vaccine* into the arms of as many people as possible to hopefully get control over the pandemic, which has taxed hospitals and caregivers for the past ten months.
To prepare for more widespread vaccination of the public, Nester recommends that those who don't already have a MyLVHN account sign up today. (Note: You do not need to be a current LVHN, LVPG or Coordinated Health patient to have a MyLVHN account.) Once the vaccine is available, you will receive notifications when vaccine appointments can be made. MyLVHN is a free, secure, easy-to-use patient portal that connects you with your personal health information. Learn more at LVHN.org/MyLVHN.
LVHN is administering the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. While recipients are not able to choose which vaccine they will receive, both have been proven safe and effective. After providing two months of safety from ongoing Phase 3 trials, Pfizer and Moderna were granted Emergency Use Authorization by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Data show that Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine is 95 percent effective in preventing COVID-19 while Moderna’s vaccine has shown to be 94.5 percent effective.
To learn more about COVID-19 vaccines, go to LVHN.org/Vaccines.
*Vaccine supply is dependent on shipments from the State of Pennsylvania.