Mount Nittany receives first shipment of COVID-19 vaccine. Here’s what the local hospital said
COVID-19 vaccines are finally starting to trickle in and around Centre County, with Mount Nittany Health receiving its first shipment Wednesday morning — something one local health official referred to as a “glimmer of hope.”
The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, which reached its first Pennsylvania hospital on Monday, will first be distributed among front-line health workers. It could still be months before the general county population can be vaccinated — residents of long-term care facilities are next on the priority list — but Wednesday’s shipment of 975 doses was still considered a critical step forward in fighting the pandemic.
According to the health system’s vaccine response task force, Mount Nittany’s direct care staff and providers will receive the first dose of the vaccine sometime this week and not necessarily all on Wednesday.
“We are certainly encouraged by FDA clinical trial findings that the Pfizer vaccine offers nearly full protection against virus symptoms after receiving both doses,” Dr. Nirmal Joshi, chief medical officer, said in a written statement. “Its overall effectiveness also seems to span across all age groups, genders, racial and ethnic minorities and those with underlying conditions like diabetes and obesity. It’s very promising, and a glimmer of hope during this pandemic.”
The vaccine will be voluntary for staff, although all are “strongly encouraged” to receive it. (Citing a staff survey, Mount Nittany Health said most intend to be vaccinated.) After receiving their first injection, medical staff will receive their second dose 21 days later, as indicated by Pfizer.
Protection from the vaccine is not immediate, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And a person is not considered fully vaccinated until 1-2 weeks after the second dose, when it boasts 95% efficacy.
“This is a pivotal development in the fight against COVID-19, in Pennsylvania and the nation,” Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said earlier this week. “This limited supply of vaccine signals the start of the process to end COVID-19’s devastating impacts on every community in the commonwealth.”
Sixteen hospitals in the commonwealth have received the vaccine so far. Another 71 hospitals are expected to receive the vaccine by Monday.
Geisinger Lewistown was the first hospital in a surrounding county to get the vaccine, as it received 975 doses Tuesday. UPMC Altoona was the only other nearby medical center to get a shipment, as it received 975 doses Wednesday.
“We will administer the vaccine as quickly as we can and as quickly as supplies allow,” Geisinger said in a written statement Tuesday.
Pfizer-BioNTech began a large-scale clinical trial for the vaccine in July, involving nearly 44,000 people, and received emergency use authorization from the FDA on Friday. An FDA advisory committee will evaluate Moderna’s authorization request for a vaccine Thursday and, if approved as expected, could be shipped by Monday.
Other vaccine candidates — such as AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson — could be on track for authorization later this winter.
Centre County, and much of the U.S. public, could be vaccinated in about five months from now. Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, said most of the general public should have access by the spring, while Moderna’s CEO recently said any American who wants a vaccine should be able to by Memorial Day.
In the meantime, however, cases continue to rise at the county, commonwealth and country level. And local officials have cautioned the community not to grow lax now, as the threat of infection has never been higher — even if an end might finally be in sight.
“While vaccinations are beginning, it doesn’t mean you should stop following the guidelines that we know work in stopping the spread of the virus,” Geisinger said in a statement.
Added Joshi: “The most effective safety measures we can take against COVID-19 continues to be wearing a mask, frequent hand washing and maintaining social distance. These measures are especially important during the holidays as we continue to see a rise in COVID cases and subsequent hospitalizations.”
This story was originally published December 16, 2020 at 11:27 AM.
