The Latest on the Vaccine in Virginia (Updated 12/17/20)
Update: Dec. 17, 2020
18 hospitals in Virginia corresponding to distinctive geographic regions are recipients of the initial Pfizer shipment. From there, the vaccine doses will be placed into ultra-cold storage or redistributed to other hospital facilities to ensure widespread vaccination of health care professionals is completed.
The first doses from the initial Pfizer shipment arrived Monday, Dec. 14. Vaccination activities started Tuesday, Dec. 15. Other shipments from the initial distribution arrive this week.
Subsequent shipments occurring later in December are expected to include both Pfizer and Moderna vaccine.
Vaccination for long-term care facility staff and residents is being done through the Pharmacy Partnership for Long Term Care. Under this partnership, commercial pharmacies CVS and Walgreen’s will assume responsibility for vaccinating Long Term Care staff and residents.
44 Virginia hospitals have expressed a willingness to potentially store vaccine doses, and possibly conduct vaccination clinics, to support local health departments and other, non-hospital health care organizations.
Priority is given to “high risk” clinicians and hospital staff, with priority as follows:
health care personnel who directly engage in the care of or interact with patients known or suspected to be infected with COVID-19
health care personnel who interact with patients not known or suspected to be infected with COVID-19 but who are at higher risk for infection due to the patients’ individual risk factors
any employee that physically works in a long-term care or skilled nursing facility, and first responders
health care personnel who are at higher risk of infection due to their own individual risk factors and who interact with patients not known or suspected to be infected with COVID-19
all other health care personnel who interact with patients not known or suspected to be infected with COVID-19
all other employees and contracted personnel not otherwise vaccinated per the above categories whose duties may require access to clinical settings at health system facilities.
Non-clinical employees who do not physically work in a clinical care setting and whose duties do not require visitation at a clinical care setting will be vaccinated in accordance with HHS and state guidelines based on their individual characteristics and risk factors.
The Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association (VHHA) has produced an infographic (below) on the COVID-19 vaccine.
Update: Dec. 12, 2020
“Frontline workers need to see and hear that they are a priority”
VACEP has been in communication with the Governor’s office, specifically Secretary of Health and Human Resources Daniel Carey, M.D., to ensure emergency physicians, nurses, and ED staff are included in the first round priority vaccination. As VACEP President Scott Hickey, M.D. wrote to Dr. Carey: “Frontline workers need to see and hear that they are a priority.”
As COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna speed toward emergency use authorization, Virginia healthcare workers and staff/residents in long-term care facilities will be among the first to receive the doses. The Commonwealth will get 480,000 doses of the vaccine from Pfizer and Moderna; the Virginia Department of Health estimates 500,000 healthcare providers and long-term care residents in Virginia.
Virginia will distribute the vaccine according to recommendations from the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). It is believed emergency physicians and department staff are considered among those providers in “Phase 1a” vaccination priority by the CDC, categorized by those providers tasked with caring for the sickest patients. The recommendations also state: “Public health authorities and health care systems should work together to ensure COVID-19 vaccine access to health care personnel who are not affiliated with hospitals.” There are also logistical challenges to distribution, with ultra-cold storage required for the Pfizer vaccine — freezer systems that are in high demand and short supply and not available at all facilities.
Please share information with VACEP if you learn of any challenges to vaccine distribution to emergency physicians and department staff, or hear stories we should know. Contact VACEP Executive Director Sarah Marshall at the button below.
Vaccinate Virginians.
The upcoming COVID‑19 vaccination campaign will require a strong vaccination workforce. To become a part of that volunteer workforce, you must register with the Virginia Department of Health's Medical Reserve Corps (MRC).
Learn more about Virginia MRC. If you complete the online application (at the link below), please notify VACEP of your participation so that we may track emergency physician involvement in the effort.
