Mercy receives 500 doses of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine

Mercy Medical Center received 500 doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine today and began administering them within hours to frontline staff members.

This shipment comes on the heels of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine that the hospital received last week. Mercy staff completed administration of the first Pfizer shipment on Monday, December 21 – less than one week after receiving it.

According to Tony Myers, MD, Mercy vice president of quality, safety and medical affairs, Mercy is moving as quickly as possible to ensure its staff members with direct patient care can receive the vaccine. To date, Mercy has vaccinated more than 1,200 staff members and area medical providers, which is more than the original projected allocation provided to Mercy.

“We’re finding that there are often six or seven doses in each vial, which is more than the five that were expected,” Dr. Myers said. “This allowed us to advance our vaccinations beyond our original estimates.”

“We had been preparing for weeks and it is encouraging to see all of the preparation come to fruition as effectively as it has thus far,” Dr. Myers said. “We will continue vaccinating our employees and other medical providers as quickly as we receive shipments.”

Those individuals who received the first round of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine will begin receiving the second dose required during the week of January 4. The Moderna vaccine series consists of two doses, as well, administered 28 days apart.

NEWS RELEASE

For release:  Immediate

Mercy receives 500 doses of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine

CEDAR RAPDIS, IA (Dec. 22, 2020) – Mercy Medical Center received 500 doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine today and began administering them within hours to front line staff members.

This shipment comes on the heels of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine that the hospital received last week. Mercy staff completed administration of the first Pfizer shipment on Monday, December 21 – less than one week after receiving it.

According to Tony Myers, M.D., Mercy vice president of quality, safety and medical affairs, Mercy is moving as quickly as possible to ensure its staff members with direct patient care can receive the vaccine. To-date, Mercy has vaccinated more than 1,200 staff members and area medical providers, which is more than the original projected allocation provided to Mercy.

“We’re finding that there are often six or seven doses in each vial, which is more than the five that were expected,” Dr. Myers said. “This allowed us to advance our vaccinations beyond our original estimates.”

“We had been preparing for weeks and it is encouraging to see all of the preparation come to fruition as effectively as it has thus far,” Dr. Myers said. “We will continue vaccinating our employees and other medical providers as quickly as we receive shipments.”

Those indviduals that received the first round of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine will begin receiving the second dose required during the week of January 4. The Moderna vaccine series consists of two doses, as well, administered 28 days apart.