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NOTE: The following information was published March 20, 2021. For current vaccination information, visit LVHN.org/vaccines.
It was a race to beat COVID-19 as a wave of the green flag kicked off Lehigh Valley Health Network’s (LVHN) first COVID-19 mass vaccination event in Monroe County at Pocono Raceway on Saturday. A steady stream of cars drove through the Tricky Triangle with the hope of better days ahead waiting for them at the finish line.
“Now we can have our lives open up again,” said Crystal Gibson, who was relieved that now both she and her husband are vaccinated. “We can see our parents again and feel that they’re safe, and that we’re not infecting anyone, and they’re not infecting us.”
Gibson was one of 3,000 people in Pennsylvania’s Phase 1A who were eager to receive the first dose of the Moderna vaccine at the raceway.
“People are so happy to get the vaccine. You see the smiles in their eyes. They are very appreciative. They thank you. It’s just an honor to be able to do this and serve our community,” said Lehigh Valley Hospital (LVH)–Pocono President Elizabeth Wise.
The LVHN colleagues who help make this mass vaccination event possible were also thrilled to see their efforts helping more and more people get vaccinated. “We are super excited, the recipients are excited, and so are our helpers out there dedicating their time and talent. It is a team. We could not do this with one person. It is absolutely a collective team,” said Terry Burger, LVHN’s Administrator of Infection Control and Prevention.
For Burger and her team, the hope is to continue to vaccinate as many people as possible in the coming weeks and months. “We have the structure to give many, many thousands of vaccines, but we have to receive it, and I think we can look forward to more being delivered, and then we can deliver more vaccine to our communities,” she said.
For those still waiting to get their shot, LVHN is prepared to set up more mass vaccination clinics.
When supply is available, the health network also continues to offer vaccines by appointment only at five hospital campuses (LVH–Cedar Crest, LVH–Muhlenberg, LVH–Hazleton, LVH–Schuylkill E. Norwegian Street and LVH–Pocono).
Stay up-to-date on vaccine supply
LVHN is committed to keeping our community informed about vaccine availability in real time. There are three ways to stay up to date:
LVHN.org – LVHN will post a green alert at the top of our website, LVHN.org, to indicate that appointments are available. When appointments are unavailable, LVHN will post a red alert at the top of the website.
MyLVHN – People on the LVHN patient portal, MyLVHN, will see an announcement on the home screen indicating if appointments are available.
COVID-19 Hotline – If you do not have access to technology, you can call 833-584-6283 (833-LVHN-CVD) to receive an update and schedule an appointment if supply is available. Demand and call volume are high. You may be on hold and all vaccine appointments may fill up while you wait. The fastest way to get an appointment is through MyLVHN.
LVHN typically receives vaccine shipments on Tuesdays when supply is available. Please remember that more than 300,000 people in Phase 1A are waiting to get vaccinated by LVHN. Vaccine supply is determined by the state of Pennsylvania. Appointments are filled on a first-come, first-served basis and are taken very fast.