Newman Regional Health has now received both the Moderna and Pfizer versions of the coronavirus vaccine.
The hospital received 300 doses Monday after receiving word of the shipment early last week. Newman Regional Health vaccinated its frontline staff with the first round of the Pfizer drug, and Director of Business Development McKenzie Cinelli says the Moderna shipment means all staff can be protected from the virus.
Moderna vaccinations are set for Jan. 5-6.
Cinelli says the hospital will reach out to other healthcare providers to gauge interest in the vaccines if there are extra doses. Those vaccinations are tentatively planned for Jan. 5-6.
As far as the Pfizer vaccine is concerned, the second round of doses has not arrived yet but should by the end of next week. The Pfizer vaccine needs ultra-cold storage or else it has a limited shelf life, and the initial doses were already thawed so the hospital had just five days to administer the drugs to frontline staff. It’s unclear whether the second round will be thawed or frozen when those come to Emporia.
Flint Hills Community Health Center received 200 doses of the Moderna vaccine shortly before Christmas. The Health Center and Lyon County Public Health vaccinated its frontline workers with that shipment.
6:30 pm Tuesday: Moderna vaccine arrives at Newman Regional Health
Newman Regional Health is among the first hospitals in the state of Kansas to receive the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.
The hospital received 30 vials of the vaccine Monday with each vial containing 10 doses. Those doses will be administered to remaining Newman staff members who signed up to be vaccinated against the virus beginning Jan. 5.
The vaccine will be administered through two separate doses 28 days apart.
The arrival of the Moderna vaccine follows the delivery of the Pfizer vaccine that arrived at the hospital on Dec. 16. That vaccine was administered to 169 hospital employees in a span of 48 hours.
“It is exciting to receive our second shipment of COVID-19 vaccine and further progress our the community in the prevention of this disease” said Newman Director of Pharmacy Ashley Edwards in a recent news release.
