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NOTE: The following information was published December 17, 2020. For current COVID-19 vaccine information, visit LVHN.org/vaccines.
Today is a milestone in our fight against COVID-19. Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN) received its first shipment of COVID-19 vaccine today and we will begin vaccinating our front-line colleagues immediately. While LVHN is a clinical trial site for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, this is the first shipment received under U.S. Food and Drug Administration Emergency Use Authorization.
As a clinical trial site, LVHN was first in the region to administer the vaccine and we assure you that when it comes to distribution and care, LVHN will continue to put safety first.
Plan for distribution
LVHN is following guidelines from the National Academy of Medicine, a branch of the Centers for Disease Control called Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), and Pennsylvania’s Department of Health to draft the priorities — one set for health care colleagues and another set for patients.
Dec. 1, ACIP made the recommendation for health care personnel and residents of long-term care facilities to receive the vaccine first. Likewise, Pennsylvania Department of Health recommends health care personnel, emergency medical services first responders and residents and staff of congregate care settings receive the vaccine first. Retail pharmacies such as CVS are distributing vaccines to residents and staff of long-term care facilities.
The shipment that arrived to LVHN today contains enough vaccinations for 975 colleagues to receive their first dose of the vaccine. LVHN created a tier-based approach to vaccinate colleagues who work in roles with a high risk for exposure to the virus.
As we gain more information about additional shipments, we will finalize a plan for providing vaccines to our community.
Watch the first LVHN EUA vaccination live
Join us for an interactive Facebook Live event today at 1 p.m. You can ask questions about the vaccine and view LVHN front-line nurse Chantal Branco, RN, receive the first COVID-19 vaccine through Emergency Use Authorization. Jody Yozviak, DO, LVHN COVID-19 Vaccine Clinical Trial Principal Investigator, will answer as many as he can during this Facebook Live. If we don’t get to your question, we’ll follow up with you after the event.
Watch a replay of this event on Facebook