MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Thursday, Methodist Hospital laid out its plans for getting the vaccine in-house and then into employees’ arms.
Methodist Hospital is expecting the COVID vaccine in a matter of weeks. They don’t know how many doses they will get, but they are already encouraging their workers to take the vaccine when it arrives.
“It is going to be a game changer for the way we live our lives,” said Nikki Polis, chief nurse executive with Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare. “So, we will highly encourage people to take the vaccine.”
The first doses will go to healthcare workers in direct contact with COVID patients, including doctors, nurses and respiratory therapists.
The vaccine won’t be mandatory, and employees are already asking questions.
“Am I eligible, are there any eligibility things I need to consider like having COVID, if I have the antibodies can I still take the vaccine?” Polis said.
As for side effects, doctors stress there haven’t been any serious ones.
“Fatigue, headache, injection site pain,” said infectious disease expert Dr. Shirin Mazumder.
They say chills, joint pain, fever and diarrhea have been reported. But they are temporary, and people got better in a day or two.
“A lot of patients are really excited about this vaccine,” Mazumder said. “It’s the one thing we have that can really help to combat this pandemic.”
There is also the issue of storing the vaccine at the proper temperature.
“We have capabilities and processes in place for keeping the vaccine at the proper temperature either in a freezer or using the thermal shipper with dry ice,” Polis said.
As a way to get people on board to getting vaccinated, Methodist wants a face for the vaccine. Much like Elvis Presley was the face of the Polio vaccine, going on TV and getting people to roll up their sleeves and surpassing the vaccine goal.
“We are looking for Elvis Presleys,” Polis said. “We are looking for those people that our associates trust to do the right thing and we are asking them to be first adopters.”
Methodist is also considering using National Guard members who have been working at the hospital with COVID screening to possibly help administer the vaccine.
