Kona hospital receives COVID-19 vaccines
By West Hawaii Today Staff | Monday, December 21, 2020, 12:30 p.m.
https://www.westhawaiitoday.com/2020/12/21/hawaii-news/kona-hospital-receives-covid-19-vaccines/
Emily Krug, pharmacy director and Kona Community Hospital CEO Jim Lee pose with a shipment of COVID-19 vaccine received Monday. (Courtesy photo/Special to West Hawaii Today)
Sarah Wagner, pharmacy tech, Lisa Downing, infection prevention director, Emily Krug, pharmacy director and Kona Community Hospital CEO Jim Lee pose with a shipment of COVID-19 vaccine received Monday. (Courtesy photo/Special to West Hawaii Today)
COVID-19 vaccines have arrived in West Hawaii, Kona Community Hospital said Monday afternoon.
Two direct shipments, one from Pfizer and one from Moderna, arrived Monday, the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation (HHSC) facility said in a prepared statement.
The 975 doses of Pfizer vaccine will be made available for those West Hawaii Region employees who want to receive the vaccine, including those at Kona Community Hospital, Kohala Hospital, the Kona Ambulatory Surgery Center and affiliated staff at Alii Health Center.
HHSC anticipates 700 of its staffers will be vaccinated, including 500 at Kona Community Hospital alone.
Kona Community Hospital’s COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic will go live on Wednesday. Employees and affiliated staff are currently being registered into the electronic record Vaccine Administration Management System. VAMS is a nationwide secure web-based tool will help jurisdictions, clinics, employers and vaccine recipients manage COVID-19 vaccination efforts.
The Moderna vaccine was received on behalf of the state Department of Health. This vaccine, which does not need ultra-cold storage was to be moved to the DOH district office later Monday.
“We are very excited about receiving these vaccine shipments, and look forward to vaccinating front line staff,” said Jim Lee, West Hawaii Region and KCH CEO. “We are working closely with the Hawaii Department of Health at state and local levels, as well as Healthcare Association of Hawaii to roll out vaccinations as quickly as possible.”