UPMC to receive COVID-19 vaccines for workers, senior care residents

[DeminPennswoods]

https://www.timesonline.com/story/news/healthcare/2020/12/08/upmc-receive-covid-19-vaccines-workers-senior-care-residents/6491683002/

Vaccines are on their way to UPMC.

While a specific date hasn't yet been given, Dr. Graham Snyder, medical director of infection prevention and hospital epidemiology at UPMC, said thousands to tens of thousands of the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines are "on their way" to UPMC facilities.

These vaccines won't be available to the public at first.

For now, frontline workers will receive the Pfizer vaccine, as the CDC recommended healthcare workers be a top priority for receipt.

In the "WTF, O" dept:

UPMC's own team of virus and vaccine experts is performing an internal evaluation of the clinical trial data, too, to ensure the vaccine is safe and appropriate. Until that team is satisfied, UPMC will hold off on giving the vaccine.

[DeminPennswoods]

1. UPMC also got the Regeneron monoclonal anti-body drug

https://www.timesonline.com/story/news/healthcare/2020/12/08/upmc-decreases-quarantine-time-workers-receives-antibodies-therapies/6494011002/

UPMC recently received an allocation of two antibody treatments from Regeneron and Eli Lilly, which are currently being given to COVID-19 patients.

President Donald Trump received monoclonal antibodies made by Regeneron back in October, which he credited for "curing" him of COVID-19.

UPMC is also developing its own antibodies, Ab1 and Ab8.

"We think they have the potential to be much more powerful than the current therapies," said Dr. Don Yealy, UPMC senior medical director and chair of the Department of Emergency.

[DeminPennswoods]

2. The ultra cold storage freezer

https://www.timesonline.com/videos/news/coronavirus/2020/12/08/upmc-covid-19-vaccine-freezer/6494672002/

[femmocrat]

3. Re: The last sentence.

I asked my dr. if she would be taking it, and she told us that she hasn’t had time to review the data yet regarding side effects. I think they are just being super cautious. She said they didn’t know the long-term effects yet.

[DeminPennswoods]

4. Overly cautious if you ask me

They are talking about not having their staff vaccinated until the end of Jan. If they want to wait, that's their decision, but then I don't want to hear any whining or complaining about staff shortages or anything else.