He Hospital Elmhurst, en Queens, had the honor this Wednesday to be the first of the 11 public hospitals in New York City that are part of the corporation NYC Health + Hospitals, in starting the vaccination process of its workers, starting with those who are on the ‘front lines’ of the battle against the COVID-19, a pandemic that made this medical center the epicenter of the coronavirus epicenter in New York last spring.
During an act broadcast live and that was headed by the Mayor Bill de Blasio, two employees of the Hospital Elmhurst, the Medical Assistant of the Emergency Department Veronica Delgado and William Kelly, an aide in the Department of Services, received the Pfizer vaccine from the very hands of City Health Commissioner Dr. Dave Chokshi, thus becoming the first workers of public hospitals in the Big Apple on receiving the dose.
“He Elmhurst Hospital is a heroic place, a place where something extraordinary happened, where one of the toughest battles in the entire country against coronavirus was fought, but this hospital stood firm on the front lines and the women and men who work here are health care heroes, ”he said. Mayor before the vaccination took place, adding that there was “no better place to choose to start this than here in Queens, which I again emphasize is a heroic place.”
The president of NYC Health + Hospitals, el Dr. Mitchell Katz, accompanied De Blasio in this launch of the vaccination plan in public hospitals and assured that since Tuesday the first deliveries from pharmaceutical companies had begun to be received. “Now we are focused on managing them to people in high-risk areas, such as those they work in emergency rooms and the Intensive Care Units ”.
Katz assured that with the start of vaccination this Wednesday “we hope that in about three weeks we will be able to vaccinate all the personnel of this hospital in each of its units.” He H + H leader said that after the people in the most risky units, priority will be given to the rest of the health workers and to the employees over 60 years of age.
Free vaccine for millions
De Blasio indicated that after the first 48 hours since the vaccines arrived in the Big Apple, at least 1,600 healthcare workers have already received the dose, something that, he insisted, will double in the next few days, and that later will be millions of New Yorkers who will receive a free and safe dose in the 11 public hospitals.
“This will be the last great battle, because the vaccine is here, and we need H + H more than ever to help us battle and defeat this second wave now. This will be a place where many people will be vaccinated, where the neighbors will trust to receive this vaccine ”, indicated the Mayor.
And speaking in Spanish, De Blasio he emphasized: “Health is a human right and our public hospitals are here to provide that right. Hard battles against the virus have been fought in these buildings, and right here we are going to fight the final battle ”.
Dr. Chokshi assured that already 37 hospitals in the city had received their first deliveries on Tuesday, “And there the vaccinations began yesterday, and this will allow us to see an increase in the administration of doses, but I must emphasize that the most important thing is that the vaccination process is safe and effective.”
And to allay some concerns that exist around immunization, the Dr. Chokshi confirmed that of those 1,600 people already vaccinated “we have not yet heard of any side effects from the injection, and we are in contact with CDC to see if they have reported anything, and so far there have been no serious adverse effects. “
88,000 doses have arrived in NY
He Governor Andrew Cuomo confirmed this Wednesday that to date the state has received 88,000 doses of vaccine against him COVID-19 by the pharmaceutical company Pfizer, and that in the next few days anothers 80,000 units, which would complete the first phase of the distribution process in New York.
In this first stage, only health workers working in high-risk areas, and residents and workers of nursing homes are vaccinated.
In phase two, for which there is still no precise date when they will receive the doses but which is expected to be completed by the end of January, the state president said he will focus on immunizing essential workers and what he called groups of “Priority” among the general public, something to be determined by health experts.
One thing Cuomo insisted on, is that all vaccines in New York will be available “absolutely free.”
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