UI Health Care ready for first COVID-19 vaccinations of its health care workers
Now that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the Pfizer-BioNTech Vaccine (Comiranty) for emergency use, University of Iowa Health Care is excited to be one milestone closer to implementing its detailed vaccination plans, first for its employees.
Health care workers will be among the first Iowans to be vaccinated, including the dedicated nurses, doctors, and others who have provided care throughout the pandemic. The CDC has also recommended that residents and staff of long-term care facilities be first in line to receive a vaccine, as they are particularly vulnerable to severe illness and death from COVID-19.
UI Health Care has been preparing for months for the unique storage and administration details required for this particular vaccine and is one of six health care sites in Iowa that will receive the state’s first limited number of doses. The first vaccinations for employees are expected as early as next week, following final guidance on vaccine prioritization and distribution from the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).
“We’re proud to have participated in the Pfizer-BioNTech clinical trial here within UI Health Care,” says Brooks Jackson, MD, MBA, University of Iowa Vice President for Medical Affairs & the Tyrone D. Artz Dean of the UI Carver College of Medicine. “We believe that this vaccine is safe and will be effective in preventing COVID-19. While supply of the vaccine will be initially limited, we will offer the COVID-19 vaccine to all UI Health Care employees who would like to receive it.”
Keep up your safety measures
It will take time before everyone is able to be vaccinated, so please continue to take the steps necessary to protect yourself, your family, and the most vulnerable within our community. Keep wearing a mask, avoid large gatherings, maintain social distance, and wash your hands frequently.